One of a Kind
by YoungestCullen8
Summary: Jackson is a premiere Hallyu Star who gets paired with a very quiet Chinese actress for his new television show. She doesn't speak Korean but has a strange way of learning the script. When their popularity rises with their photos and television spots, people start to come looking for a payout. Can Jackson and his boss help protect her? R&R
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I nearly had a heart attack. I thought I had lost all of my stuff for this story. Luckily it was saved on my Kindle so I just emailed it to myself.

I feel like I have done I so many Boys over Flowers stories, but more keep popping up in my head. My brain has a really bad habit in the fact that it doesn't want to shut up. When I get a name or idea stuck, I have to write it and my go to K-Dramas are BoF and the Heirs. I don't know what else to use!

I'm throwing in the member of GOT7 because they fit in this story. I know who the two main guys are so you don't have to worry. Every member will make an appearance obviously. I have also changed some things but I have left many things the same. Last names and origins have changed but the personality of the guys I have tried to keep the same. There might be a bit of a difference, but since I can't use real people, I had to adjust.

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Jackson Jung sat in traffic and wondered when his life was going to be something other than a Hallyu Star. Not that he minded his job. He got to do what many his age didn't. He got to act in Korean dramas and movies without having an ounce of Korean blood running through his veins.

Adopted by Chinese immigrants, Jackson grew up in Los Angeles, California. He and his little brother BamBam, who had been adopted from Thailand, had grown up on the streets performing for anyone who would watch. Their parents hadn't necessarily agree with their performing in school plays and whatnot, but as long as they had kept their grades up they could.

When Jackson had been sixteen, he had been scouted by a talent agent at one of his plays. He had thought it had been a scam when it had first happened, but the scout had come back twice. On the third time his parents had told him to listen to the woman. So they had invited her to dinner and had listened to what she had to offer.

As soon as he had heard it, Jackson had known he had wanted to go to Korea to at least try. So he had made a deal with his parents. He would go and train in Korea to do whatever he wanted to do. When he landed his first job, he would work through and finish it. Then they would decide what to do afterward.

Somehow BamBam had conned his way into going, and a month later they had been in South Korea. BamBam trained for a shorter time before he debuted. His total training time was four months when he was given the role of a younger brother in a new well known drama. He received role after role after that.

Jackson had taken his time to debut. It hadn't been because he hadn't been offered roles, but he had turned down most of them because he would have been labeled as the foreign exchange student who didn't speak Korean. So he had trained and learned Korean as he had waited.

Now he was glad he had. After a year of training and becoming somewhat fluent in his new language, he was offered a role as a student with a dual identity. By day he was a student and by night he was an agent. Since he had already had a background in martial arts, all he'd had to do was choreograph the fight sequences.

The show had become a hit among teenagers, and Jackson's popularity had skyrocketed. Not only had he been offered more rolls, but he had become best friends with the second male lead. Mark Hwang had played his partner in the show who had taught him how to be an agent. Like Jackson, Mark had grown up in the States and had moved to South Korea after being scouted on the street.

When it had been certain Jackson, Mark, and BamBam were going to do well, their company decided to put them in a house with four other rising stars. They had moved in with four guys who meshed well with their personalities.

Lee Jae Bum, or JB, was the oldest of the four. He was a stage actor with a powerful voice. He also did a lot of work with original soundtracks for the television. Next to him was Yong Jin Young, or Junior. He and their company president shared the same first and middle name so to make it easier they had called him Junior. He worked as a stunt man on some of the bigger movies and television shows.

The last two were another set of brothers. Song Young Jae and Yugyeom were exactly a year and two months apart in age. Much like Jackson and BamBam, the only way Young Jae could have auditioned was if Yugyeom had gone as well. Both brothers had passed the audition and had been pulled into the company. They had been put in the same house as JB and Junior because they had thought the older two would be able to ease them into the life of a star.

When Mark, Jackson, and BamBam had moved in, it had been like a family reunion. Even though they had just met, they had treated the newcomers like they had always been a part of their family. When JB had lost his dad in a house fire he had been trying to extinguish, they had all gone to the funeral to support him. When JB and Junior had graduated high school, they had been there with their families to celebrate with them.

Since they had been the biggest support to each other, Jackson had had the courage to accept a bigger role. When the writers for a new action drama had released the script, he had jumped on it and auditioned for it. He had been up against tough competition. Kim Woo Bin and Lee Min Ho had auditioned so he had thought his chances were slim.

But somehow he had managed to get the role. He had later found out that one of the reasons had been Young Jae and Yugyeom's cousin had requested him. The other reason had been the lead actress was Chinese and barely spoke Korean. Since Jackson had spoken a mixture of Mandarin and Cantonese at home with his parents, he could easily converse with her.

And that was why he was currently in his car. He was on his way to meet his costar for a table read. He had agreed to help translate the script into Mandarin so the woman could read it. The writers had agreed to work with him slowly so the production had been pushed back a bit.

"Have you met her?" Mark asked.

Jackson shook his head. "No. I haven't even heard of her. Why did they hire a woman who can't speak Korean though?"

"It seems she was a popular action star in China and her company wanted her to branch out into Korea. From what I heard around the company, she's very shy but extremely sweet. The director says she has never said a bad word about anyone."

The thought of a decent star made Jackson feel a lot better. Some of the actresses he knew were very demanding and wanted things a certain way. If this woman was content with what she had, he had a feeling he was going to enjoy working with her.

The car pulled up to the company and the two filed out. It wasn't unusual for Jackson and Mark to show up together anymore. They were officially best friends and did everything together. Mark was in a supporting role so he was supposed to be there so it made sense for them to come together.

They were in the lobby talking to one of their friends when there was a huge commotion at the door. Flashes were going off like crazy as people wandered in. The security guard stopped the press from coming in as the group stopped in front of the potted plant. One of the men asked the woman with them was all right. She looked troubled as she answered in what was clearly Mandarin.

They were called in for their table read. Jackson was told to sit beside the woman. He looked at Mark as the other man sat across from him. They made a face at each other as the director sat down.

"All right. Most everyone knows each other, but there is one person who doesn't know anyone. This is Renner Wu. You will not only recognize her face from the movie " Shanghai Baby" but her twin sister is Renley Wu, the model for Marie Claire. She would like to be called Ren and barely speaks Korean. It's going to take some time to get through the readings, but Song Woo Bin says she's one of the smartest actresses he's ever met," he explained.

Well that made sense. Song Woo Bin had helped this company finance the Chinese branch that Ren had been sighed with for years. He was Young Jae and Yugyeom's cousin that paid for the house the seven shared and helped bring Chinese actors and actresses to Korean for cultural exchanges.

Jackson looked over and smiled at Ren. She smiled back and looked at the Chinese version of the script. He read over her shoulder them spoke.

"Is your Korean nonexistent or do you understand some things?" he asked in Mandarin.

He tried not to laugh as she turned sharply to him. "You speak Mandarin?" she asked.

He nodded. "I was born in China but raised in America. We spoke Mandarin in my house. Do you need any help?"

She shook her head. "No. Once I hear it I'll be able to repeat and remember it."

Jackson glanced at Mark. The other man was trying unsuccessfully to hide a snicker. Even the actresses of this company tried to get Jackson to notice them. He wasn't stupid. He knew they only wanted to be near him because he could boost their popularity. But here was this young woman who had her own popularity that probably outweighed his.

"Miss Ren," the director said. She looked up at him when he said her name. "I noticed you have some color in your hair. Will you consider dying it back?"

Ren leaned over as her manager translated then shook her head. Clear as day, she said, "No."

Jackson snorted as he tried not to laugh. She was quiet but kind of sassy. He liked it because she was giving their boss a hard time already and they hadn't even started filming.

They started the table read. The translator spoke the lines in Korean to which Ren repeated verbatim. Jackson changed the language of the writing to Chinese so she could understand how he read it and she said it in Korean so she would know how it should be said. Mark chimed in, in Chinese when it was his turn. Though he was of Taiwanese decent, he spoke Mandarin very well.

After a while the director and writers just gave up on trying to get the three actors to speak in Korean. They let the two men who could speak in Mandarin do so because the lead actress started to relax. She started to open up to the best friends' goofy retorts. They were so totally engrossed in their roles, the staff could see the chemistry between them.

When the table read was over, Ren leaned against the table and became quiet again. Jackson realized it was her personality. While acting like someone else, she was alive and vivacious, but take her out of character and she was completely docile. He didn't know if it was because she was in a country with a language she didn't speak or because she was just quiet.

The director dismissed them. Ren followed her manager and translator from the room, her face buried in the script. Mark rounded the table and smacked Jackson in the shoulder, urging him to follow them. Not having to be told twice, the two did so.

"Ren!" he called. She turned to look at him, open look on her face. She tilted her head when they walked up. "Do you have any plans for lunch?" She shook her head, obviously not planning to answer with the obvious. Why? "Would you like to join us?"

Ren looked out the window at the gathered press. She had done well coming in avoiding them but if she left with these two, it was going to be on the front page of the entertainment section. It was usually her sister who had all the scandals with the guys she worked with. She was known as the good twin who didn't get into trouble. If she stepped outside with these two, that would all change.

She looked back at the two of them and shook her head. "No thank you. I don't want to deal with any of that."

Jackson looked over her shoulder and out the window. He winced slightly then looked back down at her. "You don't have to worry about them. We have a way to get in and out so the fangirls don't catch us. But if you don't want to go you don't have to."

"It's easier to work in an unfamiliar country when you have people you can rely on," Mark said. She looked at him, and he smiled in a friendly manner. "Jackson and I are both foreigners as well so we understand the process of finding people that you can trust who won't take advantage of you. You can trust us."

Ren looked at her translator and manager. They had all lived together since she had started at the Chinese branch of the company. The two had been the only two she had been able to rely on. Wang Yixuan and Sun Tao, her translator and manager respectively, had given up a lot to travel with her.

They shrugged and nodded. "As long as you're safe and okay with being with them, we don't really mind," Tao said. "Just call us when you're ready to come home."

Yixuan agreed but he looked at the guys. "Don't you dare think you can do anything untoward with her. She's not the only one with multiple black belts in Judo and a black belt in Shaolin Kung Fu."

Jackson inclined his head out of respect. "We won't do anything to her."

"Our housemates would get really upset," Mark added. He held out his hand. "We'll make sure you get home safely and without issue. Do you trust me?"

Ren tilted her head slightly then carefully put her hand in Mark's. He turned and followed Jackson to another door that led to a set of stairs. They quickly descended the stairs and came out at the parking garage. Mark had driven the day before but hadn't wanted to drive home after a long night of training. Jackson allowed Ren to sit up front as he climbed in the back.

"Where are we going?" she asked as Mark pulled out of his parking spot.

"The safest place we know is our house."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: it took a couple of days for this to get posted because our internet was turned off. Again. I'm used to it now so I just write and wait for it to be turned back on. Daddy and I watched Stargate while we waited. At night I watched Reply 1997. I'm late but its funny. I love Seo In Guk.

Unlike many of my characters, this time this one is based off me emotionally. This holiday season has been the worst. I started writing this without knowing where it was going to go but now I know.

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Ren sat quietly in the passenger seat as Mark slid his car easily through town. Jackson had started off very talkative but when she had zoned out to memorize her surroundings, he had sat back in the backseat without so much as a word. Mark hadn't tried to ta!k as he drove, but she knew he was waiting for her to say something.

She had been in Seoul two days so she hadn't had much time to sightsee. The place was huge. The buildings were taker than the ones in her hometown. It was just as bright though, lights twinkling everywhere. It was obvious Christmas was well on its way.

Mark flipped on the blinker and turned right onto a side street. It was quieter than the main thoroughfare and it seemed so much more peaceful. Mark took a couple of rights then a left before he pulled into an underground parking garage, one Ren knew very well. This was the same building she lived in.

Jackson opened her door and waited until she stepped out, taking her coat to ease the process. She smiled at him as she stepped away. He looked at Mark over the hood of the car and the other man shrugged.

Mark put his hand on her lower back and pushed her gently into the elevator. Ren pushed a button for the twelfth floor. The guys looked at each other. They lived on the seventh. They had no idea what was going on but decided to trust her since she had trusted them.

They rode the elevator in silence. Jackson and Mark stood at the back and watched the numbers tick by as they ascended. They were still unsure where they were going but they weren't going to say anyyhing. They wanted her to trust them as much as she dared. Sometimes it was a dangerous game.

The elevator dinged ad then door opened. Ren stepped off and went to the left like she knew where she was going. They followed her to the very far end of the hall and to the last door. She lifted the keypad cover and punched in a code. The door chimed as she pushed it open. Mark and Jackson stared for the longest before she poked her head out the door to see what they were doing. Finally they followed her in.

The dorm was well furnished, but unlike theirs, there was only a small rack of clothes in the living room. They were all men's clothes so that meant Ren's were somewhere else.

Ignoring them she went to the far door on then other side of the living room and disappeared inside. Jackson and Mark looked around as they waited on her. She lived five floors above them and they hadn't even known. Then again their company really wasn't privy to giving out its clients' information.

Ren came out in sweats and a T-shirt. Obviously being in her building was comforting even if she wasn't in her house. She tilted her head at them and they left the house to go down five flights.

She still hadn't said anything as they came to their door. Mark punched in their code and tossed open the door. Noise flooded outside. It was typical for them but to someone who lived with only two other people it had to be different. Jackson looked at Ren to confirm it. She had her head tilted in confusion.

"We live with five other people," Mark explained as he walked inside and kicked his shoes off.

"One of them is my brother and two are related to Song Woo Bin," Jackson added.

"GeGe is here?" she asked as she preceded him into the house.

Jackson laughed as he waited for her to take her shoes off. "He's not here now but if your translator and manager tell him you are here, he will undoubtedly come. Come on. Come meet everyone. No one will tell a soul about you."

Ren slowly followed Jackson further into the house. It smelled wonderful but sometimes the smell and the taste were different. She turned the corner from the entryway and kind of hid behind Jackson as he spoke to the others. She listened to the foreign language she barely understood and the excitement that filled the house.

"Hey, guys, we brought a friend home with us," Jackson said in Korean. He turned a one eighty to find her standing behind him. Smiling he pulled her up beside him. "This is my costar Ren Wu. The press was bugging her."

"So you brought her home?" one of them laughed.

"Hey," Mark said as he noticed the look on her face, "I know you mean it as a joke but it's not funny. Some people are more sensitive to jokes like that than others. Besides she doesn't understand what you're saying."

"What do you mean?" another asked. Ren just kept going from person to person as they spoke.

"She doesn't know Korean," Jackson said. "She can only speak in Mandarin. I'm supposed to help her translate the scripts. Since she lives five floors up it shouldn't be an issue."

Ren looked at each of them and tried her best to understand what they were saying to no avail. It frustrated her that the company hadn't said they were sending her to Korea or had given her the means to communicate. She had never felt more helpless.

Jackson looked at Ren to see a blank look on her face. He didn't know what she was thinking but it didn't look to be very pleasant. He remembered the days where he couldn't communicate with anyone except BamBam. It had been one of the hardest times of his life.

He pushed her gently to the kitchen where two other guys were diligently cooking. He pointed at them. "Song Young Jae and Yugyeom. They are the cousins to Song Woo Bin. Young Jae, do you remember the Chinese actress Woo Bin hyung tried to sign to the company."

The one called Young Jae dropped his spoon and spun around. "She's here?" The look on his face was extremely happy. "Wow. She's even prettier than he said." He bowed slightly. "Nin hao," he said.

Ren turned to Jackson. "Does he know Mandarin?"

Jackson shook his head. "He just knows how to say hello. He even said you were prettier than hyung mentioned. Hey, Yugyeom! Greet her properly!"

The younger guy dropped the spoon he was holding and turned around. Ren remembered seeing a picture of the guy on Woo Bin's phone. He had been so proud of his younger cousin for making it into the company at such a young age. He had always supported him.

She stepped forward and gently touched his face. All three men seemed shocked but no one said anything. Not that she would be able to understand it anyway. She finished by running her finger down the bridge of his nose.

"Now I understand why Woo Bin calls him the cutest one," she said.

"Hyung must have too you a lot about his cousins," Jackson laughed. "Come on. We're about to eat. BamBam, come here for a second." Another young man pried himself away from the group and came over. Jackson slung his arm around the guy's neck. "This is my younger brother. Bambam, this is Ren."

He smiled and bowed, immediately switching to Mandarin. "Hello. I'm BamBam Jung."

Ren smiled. "You speak Mandarin too."

"And Thai. I was born in Thailand but our parents adopted me when I was six months old. They made sure I understood my birth culture."

She looked at Jackson. "Our parents couldn't have kids so they adopted. I'm originally from Hong Kong. Our parents made certain we knew who we were and where we were from. We both speak many languages. At the moment I think we're up to four or five."

"That's amazing. I can only speak three."

"Which three?" Mark asked as he steered her towards the table.

"Portuguese, Mandarin and Cantonese. I was born and raised in Macao."

"Did you like it there?" Young Jae asked as he set a bowl of seaweed soup in front of her. She looked at Jackson who translated both the words and food. "We're celebrating Yugyeom-ah's birthday though it was nearly a month ago."

After Jackson translated, she looked at Yugyeom. "Your birthday is November 17?" Yugyeom nodded after BamBam responded in Korean. She smiled through her nose and licked her lips. She looked at Jackson who tilted his head. "I was born on the same day... How old is he?"

"Eighteen internationally and nineteen Korean. Why?"

"November 17 is my birthday as well, except I'm twenty-three in Korean age."

BamBam relayed the happy news and the show room erupted. No one seemed to catch the look Yugyeom gave her.

The guys passed around the food happily. Ren withdrew into herself as the conversation centered around two who were introduced as JB and Junior. They were obviously working on a television show together. Well not together but its was the same show. JB was working on the soundtrack as Junior was the male lead's stunt double.

Ren picked at her food, uncomfortable being in a room with people she didn't even know. She had had plenty of meas with people she hadn't known and had survived. Now all she had to do was make it through this.

Yugyeom watched the woman as she ignored everyone around them. It made sense. She couldn't understand them so it had to be hard. He watched her pick at her food, twirling the soup with her spoon. She sucked in a deep breath and looked up and met his gaze.

She was homesick already. He didn't know how long she had been here but not being able to communicate made her feel alone. He glanced at his brother, feeling the same familiar loneliness well up. He could understand a bit what she was feeling. Young Jae hadn't always been in the same house.

He gotnuo, drawing everyone's attention, and motioned for her to follow him. He tapped BamBam on the shoulder before he moved to one of the three doors lined up against the far wall.

"He wants us to follow us," BamBam said.

Ren looked at Jackson and Mark before she slowly got up and followed the two young guys. Yugyeom was rummaging around in one of his drawers when she came into the room. There was a set of bunk beds and a single bed in the room. It seemed Young Jae shared the room with his brother and friend.

Making a triumphant noise, Yugyeom turned around with a small box in his hand. He handed it to her and waited for her to look it over then look up at him. But she didn't look at him. She looked at BamBam. The slightly older man listened to her question then turned to him.

"Is that a portable translator?" he asked in her stead.

He nodded. "Hyung used it when he went to study overseas for a year. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't mind if you borrowed it for a bit. It will help you translate your script faster than Jackson hyung can. That way you can spit out your lines well."

"Can I download the script onto a computer so I can listen to it?" she asked which BamBam relayed in Korean.

He nodded as he rummaged through the drawer again, is time producing a USB cord. "You sure can."

Ren immediately switched it on and changed the main language. Now she could immediately interpret the text and start committing it to memory. To test it out, she grabbed a book and typed in the characters or whatever they were called and waited for the Mandarin translation.

"This is so cool. Jackson!" She turned and ran out of the room.

They watched as their brother and friend put down his eating utensils to play with the device she put in front of him. He started to play with it as well.

BamBam looked at his friend and watched the look of contentment settle on his face. They had gone to school together since BamBam had moved here, and he had never seen this look on his best friend's face before.

He looked out into the living room and watched his brother. If what he had heard earlier at the table, Ren was the same age as Mark. That made her only a few months older than Jackson. She was much closer to their ages than Yugyeom's. He wasn't going to tell him there was a possibility it was all futile.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: sorry this has taken so long to get up. My family has been sick and I've had to work so I haven't had time to write. It's been crazy!

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Ren lay with her feet propped up on the padded wall as she stretched her back and legs out. If she gave it enough time, she would be fully stretched and ready to work out. She was already feeling the muscles in her leg pulling gently as she flexed her toes.

Even though upside down, she could see her sister's latest scandal unfolding. Renley had always been boiy crazy. When she had first joined the agency, it had been under the disguise of wanting to perfect her acting when in reality all she had wanted was to meet boys. She excelled in the acting classed but she had also had extracurricular affairs.

Ren rolled onto her shoulders then popped up onto her hands. When she hit her feet, she rolled her shoulders to loosen them up as well. The door to the dojo opened and she looked over go see Woo Bin pull it to. He was dressed in sweats and a loose T-shirt. He looked ready to work out.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Her default speech was in Mandarin. Luckily for her Woo Bin was conversational in the language. "I heard you take this time to work out. I figured I'd work out with you."

Not really wanting to talk anymore about it, she took her spot on the other side of the black strip of tape on the mat. Woo Bin took the other side, and they bowed to each other.

Then it was on. Both tried to literally kill each other. Woo Bin tried to take Ren's feet out from under her as Ren tried to roll him up. They weren't friends at the moment. They were martial arts masters who had to test the other.

After a while, Ren got bored and jumped Woo Bin. She climbed up him like a monkey, wrapped her legs around his neck, and slung him to the ground. He tucked his chin to his chest as he hit the mat, his feet smacking hard on the vinyl. Ren rolled over on her belly and lay facing one of the only men who could converse with her.

"How is the translating coming?" he asked.

"Slow, but one of Jackson's friends gave me a portable translator. Yixuan checks it when its done, but so far it's made things easier to work. I haven't had to use Jackson too much," she answered. She bit her lip as he smiled. "Your youngest cousin hit on me."

Woo Bin laughed as he rolled onto his back. "Yugyeom-ah, you sly dog. Hitting on my girl."

"Are you confusing me with my sister?"

"No offense but your sister is way too easy. You at least have some moral integrity."

"You're just saying that."

"No I actually mean it. You don't sleep around or use your good looks to get a guy."

"Am I interrupting a lover's discussion?"

Ren heard the masculine voice though she couldn't understand him. Beside her Woo Bin called out a greeting and they conversed for a moment. She took that time to get up and stretch out the work out. They didn't seem to notice so she somersaulted until her heels hit the wall.

Woo Bin heard the smack of the wall and looked over to see Ren lying on her bad with her feet on the wall. He looked down to see her fingers keeping time before she crossed one leg over the other.

"She seems lost," Yi Jeong said.

"Unlike us who have had the best money can buy, Ren is living in a country she's never been to. She doesn't know the language and on those of us who can. You remember what it was like living in a foreign country."

"At least I could converse in English."

Woo Bin shook his head then stood up. He rubbed his face with the towel then leaned against the wall to watch the woman stretch. "She's very limber."

"I guess that's what happens when you train for years. But we need to get her to the studio. They're choreographing the first four fight sequences."

The older man looked down. "Are you going too?"

"I'm helping design the set. The female lead's house is my main project so I'm spending as much time with her as possible."

Woo Bin shoved off the wall and walked over to Ren. She flipped off the wall then stood to face him. He laughed as she tugged on the long hair into a low ponytail and tossed it over her shoulder.

"Are you ready?" he asked. She nodded. He motioned to her attire. "Are you going like that? Its February and that's a tank top."

Yi Jeong laughed as she whipped out a heavy jacket with a fur lined hood. "I think she outsmarted you."

Woo Bin smiled. "I think so. Let's go."

Ren shrugged on her coat as she followed the two men out of the dojo. Woo Bin had always been good to her. He had somehow managed to get her to sign on with the company as a stunt double first. Then he had talked her into auditioning for a prominent role in a movie. She hadn't gotten it but she had gotten a supporting role that had led to a major role later.

Over the last few years, she had gotten the reputation of an easygoing actress. She didn't fight her directors or producers, and because of that, her suggestions were usually taken into great consideration. Sometimes it didn't go all the way through and sometimes they accepted them.

But Ren was considered honest and good. She was given tough but honest roles. She couldn't count how many times she had broken a bone or dislocated a joint. Most of the time they kept on going, but she could feel the gentle throb of each injury every time she worked out or moved throughout a film. Sooner or later she wasn't going to be able to do action films.

She watched as the buildings passed by as Woo Bin drove through the city. A familiar drive, she realized they were going back to her house. That meant she was going to be showing her house. She had forgotten Yi Jeong was supposed to look at her house to design her set house for the drama. It was a mess right now.

She was certain Yixuan and Tao hadn't lifted a finger to clean

Woo Bin opened the door after parking in the building's parking garage. He took her bag as she slid out of the backseat. She tried to take it back but Woo Bin refused to relinquish it. Shrugging, she let him keep it and walked to the elevator to go upstairs.

"Should we stop by Young Jae's?" Yi Jeong asked.

His friend nnodded "I was planning on it."

Ren watched the numbers through their conversation and noticed the floor stopped on seven. Woo Bin grabbed her hand and drug her out of the metal box and down the hall. He punched in a code to the familiar door and shoved it open. He wasn't giving her a chance to run away. She looked back at Yi Jeong, begging him to make an excuse. He just shrugged and followed them in the house.

"Yah! Song Yugyeom! You don't have time to flirt!" Woo Bin called as soon as he came around the corner of the entryway.

Ren didn't understand the conversation but she did know the look of surprise and mortification as Young Jae jumped up and ran to his room to put a shirt on. She shrugged out of her coat and walked into the kitchen in search of dairy and pretzels. JB was there making a sandwich as she jerked open the fridge and grabbed a cheese stick and a bottle of water. She looked at him as she shut the door and he smiled, waving his dirty knife at her.

"Pretzels?" she asked in English.

He shook his head. "Sorry."

Scrunching her nose, she went into the living room and sat with her feet pressed together in the butterfly stretch. She heard Jackson laugh but ignored him. Mark suddenly popped up in her vision and shocked her with a cold rag

"You're still sweating," he said as he drug the course cloth down her face.

Ren allowed him to wash her face as she tore into the cheese. She looked at the writing on the bottle, confused as to who would write on a glass. She showed it to Mark with a tilt of her head.

"It's Yugyeom's," he answered. "I don't think he minds."

"What were you doing?" Jackson asked.

"Working out. I'm starving," she answered.

"Hang on." He hopped up and ran to the other room but returned a second later. He tossed a bag at her then sat down. "These will give you more energy than cheese alone."

"Hyung, why are you here?" Young Jae asked, changing the language completely.

"I brought Ren home. Yi Jeong is going to look at her house," the oldest man in the room answered.

"So why are you here?" JB asked

"Your Noona needs friends. Be nice to her."

Junior sputtered a bit. "She doesn't even understand any of us other than Jackson and Mark."

"After tonight that should change."

Yugyeom looked over just as Mark pulled Ren back against him. He continued to clean the dried sweat away on her neck. She argued with him the entire time, head tilted back as he continued his rub down. When he finished, they made eye contact and slow smiles spread across their faces.

Woo Bin watched his young cousin carefully. Yugyeom sometimes found it hard to open up and accept someone new. When he found something or someone he liked, he didn't outright say it. Because of that sometimes he was late on getting in line to say what he wanted. He had lost !any things and people to others due to it.

He shared a slow look with Yi Jeong. The other man had witnessed enough of Yugyeom's idiosyncrasies when he had first attended Shinhwa High School. He was still young and unsure of himself most of the time. Even now though living with his brother and friends, he took his time to speak during conversations.

As it was, he was watching Mark form a very close bond with the woman he was starting to like. Mark wasn't his enemy in love but Yugyeom wasn't making it easier on himself by being silent. He was going to lose if he didn't step up his game.

"Noona!" Young Jae said, shaking her foot to get her attention. Ren looked at him though she didn't understand the word he used. "What are you doing for dinner?

She tilted her head back as Mark spoke the same sentence in Mandarin. In response, she lifted her hip and pulled out her phone. Shoving the last bit of cheese stick in her mouth, she punched in the password and clicked on her calendar icon. She spoke without thinking.

"I'm meeting Director Cha for dinner to discuss language lessons. Then after that I have something to take care of before I can come home," Mark spat out as Ren spoke in rapid fire Mandarin.

"Are you going to discuss getting a new agent?" Woo Bin asked. She scowled at him after Mark spoke to her. "Why do you have a manager and an agent? Shouldn't you have one?"

"BamBam and I have two," Jackson said. "Because I did some work in america before coming here, I have an American manager as well as a Korean manager. Jack constantly keeps in contact with Shin Woo to make sure we're well-taken care of and to make certain I know if I have schedules overseas.

Ren looked between the men talking, completely lost about what they were discussing. She opened the bottle to take a drink yo wash down the salt of the crackers. She put the lip to her mouth and tipped it back...

... And spilled it right down the front of her shirt. She jerked up, forehead colliding with Mark's chin, and went to the kitchen for a dish rag. In the living room, she could hear Jackson howling in laughter. She glared at him as she returned

"How can you be such a klutz?" he asked.

"Do you always have to be rude?" she shot back. Tsking, she looked down at the white fabric that clearly showed bright blue. "Now I need to go home.

"No need," Mark said as he stood. He disappeared in the first door and stayed for a moment. He returned in shorts with a shirt in his hand, handing it to her as he sat down. "Use this. You can bring it back whenever."

Yugyeom chewed on his bottom lip as he figured out what Mark had said. Ren unfolded the shirt and pulled it over her head. She did something with her arms inside the shirt before shoving them through the sleeve holes, the wet shirt coming out as well.

Woo Bin took in everything as he watched the group interact. They all accepted her but some were still getting used to the language barrier. They all relied on BamBam, Jackson and Mark to translate. Ren had taken to laying on her belly between JB and Yugyeom, making the latter very nervous. So nervous in fact his hand twitched. The kid was having really hard time with courage.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: it's taking way too much time to get these chapters done. I usually write on a regular basis but I'm working full time now and when I get home the last thing I want to do is write. I feel bad for you guys by doing that. It means you have to wait longer. Plus I haven't figured out who I want her with.

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"What do you want to do about this?"

Jackson turned to Director Cha and shrugged then looked back at the choreographer as he walked through the choreography with a few of the stuntmen. The movements looked forced and unnatural, like the men and women were fighting with themselves on how to move.

Across the room Ren stood with another Chinese member as they were waiting for their turn. She was staring at the men and women with a confused look on her face. She obviously had the same idea Jackson did. Everything looked wrong.

Today was the first day they had decided to try out the choreography before working on lines. They had all gotten up at four just to wait for two hours to learn. Now they were watching something that was going to get someone hurt because of its sloppiness.

Jackson was about to step in when Ren pushed off the wall and stepped onto the blue mat. Her friend smiled and shook his head. Obviously he knew what was coming.

Ren looked meek and mild. She was smaller than everyone in the room so the others on the mat just looked at her in contempt as she stepped in front of them. Those smiles faded as she literally climbed up the choreographer and sent him careening into the floor. She stood over him with a terrifying look that even scared Jackson who was far away.

The dominos fell as all of the stuntmen charged. Ren squared up, putting more pressure on her back foot as she readied for the onslaught. Ducking under one's shoulder, she slammed her fist into one guy's side as she swept her right foot behind another and leveled him. One man tried to pin her arms behind her back, but she contorted and spun away before he could lock in.

By the time anyone thought to put a stop to it, everyone else was on the floor and everyone else was speechless. Ren hadn't even broken a sweat as she stood in the middle of the floor and looked down.

"Well that's slightly terrifying," Mark quipped. "I would hate to be the one whose unfortunate idea is to attack her on the street."

"They would definitely end up in the hospital," Jackson agreed. "Did you see the way her face changed? Imagine if she had a weapon. Director, please don't give that woman a weapon!"

Ren's ears finally stopped buzzing as the blood rush faded. She looked at the stuntmen as they picked themselves off the floor. She looked at the man standing on the wall and made a face.

"You went a little overboard," he said when she walked over.

"Maybe he should choreograph realistic sequences," she said as she took a drink of water. "They don't want us to get hurt but that garbage will get everyone hurt. The director should double check credentials."

"Maybe you shouldn't be so critical."

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Lin, watch those movements in slow motion and tell me none of that looks dangerous. You're as trained as I am. In fact we trained under the same master. You know the risks."

"But I don't make the choreographer look like a fool because of it." Lin pressed the water bottle to his lips and cut his eyes to her. "You're starting to act like your sister."

He seemed to realize his mistake, but it was already too late. Hurt flashed across Ren's face before it was replaced with a cold exterior he had met before. Ren grabbed her coat and bag and crossed the blue mat quickly. She bent over briefly to retrieve her shoes before she pushed the door open and left the studio.

Across the room Jackson and Mark watched the scene. They didn't know what was being said but it didn't look good. Lin, who they had found out had trained with Ren in Macau, said something and immediately regretted it. Ren was gone before anyone could say anything.

Jackson followed as fast as he could. He didn't know Ren too well but he knew well enough that she would already be outside. Tao and Yixuan had told him that when she was upset she tended to disappear from the the situation instead of cry. They could count on one hand how many times she hadcried in front of them.

He shoved the glass doors open and looked around the sidewalk to see if he could find her. After a minute he spotted her but didn't move because he saw Yugyeom standing with her. After a moment, they stepped into a car and disappeared down the street.

($($$;$;$;$;$($($;$

Yugyeom knew going to the company through the front door was dangerous but he had a schedule he had to keep. But first he needed to talk to his manager. They had agreed to meet in front of the building so he could pass off contracts before Yugyeom had to be at his first schedule. His manager would follow after he finished up some business.

He was waiting for his car when someone collided with him, nearly knocking him over. He looked down to see Ren apologizing in Mandarin. She seemed off from her usual timid self. Her hands shook as they held her bag and coat and shoes. He realized she was barefoot as he took full inventory.

His car pulled up ad he ushered her into the backseat before sliding in after her. He watched her put her shoes on them sit back and stare out the window. He didn't know if it was because she was uncomfortable with him or if something else was wrong. He knew she wouldn't understand him if he spoke so he fiddled with the hem of his coat.

His phone dinged and he pulled it out. Jackson had sent him a message. Swiping his finger across his screen, he opened it.

 _"Lin, one of Ren's friends from Macau that is working with us, said something to her that upset her. I don't know what was said but she left before rehearsals were over. Director Cha is nervous she may quit. I saw her leave with you so I figured I'd tell you."_

Yugyeom looked over at the woman and a pang of sympathy went through him. He looked back at his phone and replied.

 _"I have her. Tell Director Cha that she won't quit. We'll be back in a little bit."_

Knowing well that he was going to have to type to communicate with her, he waited until he was at his schedule. He sent his own director a quick message to tell her he was going to have a guest with him. He was certain his commercial's co-star was going to have a heart attack when he met her. Everyone in the company knew who she was.

The car pulled up to the studio and he looked over at Ren. She looked around then at him, a slight tilt of the head asking him where they were. He smiled and held out his hand. He was asking her to trust him. It took a moment but she finally slipped her hand in his.

Yugyeom led Ren through the security booth and the complex of the studios. She continuously flexed her hand in his, either out of nervousness or habit. She stayed glued to his side like he was the only lifeline she had.

"Director Hwang," he said as he neared a short haired woman. She turned to him immediately, relief written over her face. "Manager Cho sent these."

Director Hwang sighed as she took the documents his manager had sent. "I'm so glad he could get them to you. It makes it so much easier."

Yugyeom smiled. "Also I brought my friend with me. We're spending the day together and I wanted her to see what it was like to make a commercial. She only does movies and tv shows so this is a new game to her."

He watched his director's gaze go from his face to Ren. The look of surprise was obvious as she got a really good look at the woman before her.

Ren was nervous as she stood by Yugyeom and listened to him and this woman speak.

She didn't understand what they were saying but the tone said they were fond of each other. When the older woman's gaze landed on her, she didn't know what to do. She gripped Yugyeom's hand and brought her free hand up to take his elbow tightly.

"I'm Director Hwang Eun Soo. It's nice to meet you," the woman said.

Understanding the greeting, Ren offered a respectful bow. "I'm Renner Wu, or Ren."

Yugyeom took over the conversation. "Ren doesn't speak Korean. She can understand some phrases but she can't converse."

"How do you communicate?"

"Usually Jackson or Mark hyung translate since they speak Mandarin, but she has a portable translator for the rest of us until she completes her lessons."

"Ah. Well she can sit by me while we film the rest of the commercial. It shouldn't take too long."

Yugyeom looked down at Ren. "Do you have your translator?"

It took a moment for her to figure out what he had just asked. She fumbled through her bag and finally pulled out the silver box. Yugyeom took it and typed in what she was to do in Korean and watched it pop up in Mandarin.

Ren read his instructions. "We're going to be here for a few hours. Director Hwang said you can sit by her. Don't be surprised if you're ambushed."

She nodded and he smiled before taking her hand once again to lead her to the vacant chair by the director. The last time he looked at her before he started filming she was reading her Korean textbook for that night's class. She looked torn as she struggled with the foreign language, but he knew she would be fine. She had four people who could help whenever she wanted. She just had to ask.

He went about his business, spouting lines and interacting with his co-star. It didn't take as long as they had projected to complete the final scene. Not even two hours later, they had wrapped and were having their makeup removed. Ren was sitting against the wall with her nose in a book looking completely at ease. She had abandoned the Korean language textbook in favor of one with a half naked man on it.

"Yugyeom-ah, how did you meet her?" Dong Ho asked. He was his co-star in this commercial and had been his classmate in high school.

"She's my cousin's friend, is working with Jackson and Mark hung, and lives in my building," Yugyeom answered.

"Are you two dating?"

Yugyeom looked over to see Ren scratching her neck as her eyes followed the words on the page. "No."

But Dong Ho wasn't slow. "But you wish you were. Why don't you ask her out?"

The younger man looked at the woman in question. Now she was sitting with her feet drawn to her chest while chewing on her thumbnail. It wasn't a nervous chew; more like a lazy chew that she couldn't help. Her eyes never left her book.

"She's not interested in me. She can't be," he answered sadly.

"You'll never know unless you ask. She may just be waiting on you to do so. Most women like a guy who takes the initiative."

"I also have to fight Jackson and Mark hyung. She's already really close with Mark hyung. She even lets him wipe the sweat off her face after they work out. I've seen it a couple of times in the last few weeks."

Dong Ho grabbed his much taller friend by the face and shook it gently. "Quit being an idiot and grow a backbone. You're never going to get anywhere with that kind of attitude. You lost Oh Ha Ni to Song Ji Woo, who isn't even related to you. You're considered an extra member of F4 and yet you do nothing with it."

"Hyung doesn't do anything either," Yugyeom argued through squished cheeks.

"Young Jae hyung has his own personal charms that make the girls fall for him. He doesn't need the title of F4. His got one of the best acting personalities and a powerful voice. What more could he need?"

"I don't know, Dong Ho-ah. Noona can't even speak Korean."

Dong Ho dropped his hands and clapped them in front of the younger man's nose. "Then use that. Ask her to teach you some of the languages she knows. You know Korean and Japanese. Volunteer to teach her those and ask if she will teach you hers. It's a fool proof way."

Yugyeom didn't get a chance to answer as Ren walked up to them. She smiled shyly at Dong Ho with a slight bow before she turned to him and handed him the translator.

" _I have to meet Jackson. We were supposed to work on my Korean after rehearsals. I kind of bailed on them though."_

"Where?"

She seemed to recognize the word because she immediately answered. _"A small café downtown. He said the name but I don't remember it. It's in my phone. Woo Bin is supposed to come help and Yi Jeong is supposed to bring his sketch for my movie room. I was told not to be late."_

He nodded and handed the device back to her. He noted the awkward silence between Ren and Dong Ho due to the language barrier, but when he turned around Dong Ho was all fired up. He was buzzing with energy seconds before he thrust a blank sheet of paper under Ren's nose. She smiled and accepted the pen he also held and signed his notebook. He muttered thank you's and you're my favorite's the entire time, not that she understood any of it.

Yugyeom pushed his head slightly as he passed by. "Go shower. You have a hot date with Lee Min Ah."

He held out his hand to Ren again. She bowed at Dong Ho in goodbye then took his hand and followed him out of the studio.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I have the day off today so on top of cleaning and doing laundry I figured I'd try to get chapter or two up. I don't know when the next time I'll be able to do it. It may not be until next weekend.

On another note, it's gotten so cold here. I am usually never cold but last night I had to sleep with two comforters and a sweatshirt. It really sucks but that just means we may have some snow in the next little bit. I just hope we don't miss two weeks of school.

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Ren stared at the Hangul letters on the paper and couldn't make heads or tails of the word she was supposed to define in Mandarin. Jackson had made a good system for her to learn once she had started lessons a month ago. She would write the Mandarin word then translate it into Korean. She was getting close to being able to just translate everything but it was the little things that were stopping her.

She understood the word she was looking at but she just couldn't figure out how to write it down. Frustration riddled her face as she stared holes into the book. Why couldn't she understand this? Why was she having so much trouble? She had never had so much trouble even when she was learning Portuguese. Korean should be easier. It had bases in Chinese.

Even when she had been in school before she had been scouted by the company, she had been at the top of her class. She had been training in the two kinds of martial arts and going to school. Her grades had been impeccable. Even her sister couldn't keep the same kind of schedule with modeling and school. She had eventually dropped out and had gotten a tutor.

When Ren had been scouted for the company, her first priority had been to keep her grades up. She had wanted to graduate from high school with the rest of her class. So she had trained and gone to school and had starred in her first commercial. The first movie she had starred she had started filming right after graduation. It had been a commercial success and she had gone on to bigger and better things.

When this opportunity had arisen, she had felt excited but nervous. The whole series was going to be in Korean and she couldn't speak it. She had taken it because it had been a challenge and she had always wanted to travel to Korean. But now that she was here she was seriously debating whether or not she should have accepted it.

Jackson jumped as Ren tossed her pen into the middle of her book and leaned back. He could see the frustration and annoyance riddled across her face. He knew the feeling. When he had started learning Korean, he had wanted to throw in the towel a few times. It had been BamBam who had helped him learn. He didn't know if it was because BamBam had been younger when he had started learning the language or because he had been able to learn better, but his little brother had been a lifesaver.

Jackson looked at Woo Bin. The older man had met them at the café for an unknown reason. Ren hadn't been with Jackson when he had showed up, but Woo Bin had been completely understanding after Jackson had explained what had happened and that she was with Yugyeom. When they had arrived no one had said a word.

Woo Bin took the workbook she had been working in and read over it. She didn't look up at him as he read over it again and again. Her focus was on the coffee cup in her hand. Yugyeom reached over and took her cup from her so she would look at him. He took his stylus and brought something up on his tablet before he started writing. She looked at what he had done then shook her head.

The older men looked at each other before Jackson took the tablet and tried to figure out what they had said. Dumbfounded he stared at a set of pictures on the screen. They were communicating by pictures and random English words.

"Maybe we should make the series half-Korean and half-Mandarin," Jackson offered.

Woo Bin nodded as he thought it over. "It's been a month. She should have learned at least some pieces of conversation." He closed the notebook and slid it across the table. "I'll talk with the producers. Maybe we can work around this."

He turned his attention to the woman. "How would you feel if we changed the language your lines are written in from Korean to Mandarin? Would that make it easier?"

Ren frowned as she spun the cup around on its edge. "Would that make anything better? Then they'd have to translate it on the screen."

"It's easier than teaching you a whole new language when you're only going to be here for three months while filming. Now if the series does well and you're called back then we'll see what we can do. But right now I just don't think it's worth your stress level."

"What about that choreographer?"

Woo Bin frowned. "What about him?"

Ren pulled a piece of paper out and handed it to him. "My dad did a little bit of research on Oh Shin Soo. He's lost most of his credibility because he adamantly refused safety precautions on some of his stunts and his stuntmen were injured. One was critical for a few days. Does it make sense to use someone who could possibly cause harm to us?"

The oldest member of F4 looked over the paper again. "I'll have to double check this but I will take into consideration what you've said."

Ren chewed on her lower lip. If they changed the language, it would make things so much easier for her but if they changed the choreographer at this stage, things would be set back for a few months.

"What if I do it?" she asked.

"Do what?" Woo bin asked.

"What if I choreographed the fight scenes? I'm probably one of the most trained actors on this project. It wouldn't be too rigorous. Most of us know how to pull our punches. It would be structured but not too choreographed. It would look better if it was just freeform."

"It's a good idea," Jackson said. "Choreography is good for us to be safe, but the majority of us are well-trained and we know our limits. We would just need a supervisor of sorts. Someone who would just be there in case something happens."

"I'm sure my doctor friend would be happy to be on staff that day." Woo Bin smiled. "We're thinking out of the box. Maybe we should hire Chinese, or in this case Macanese."

"What is Macanese?" Jackson asked.

"People who are mixed heritage with Chinese and Portuguese. My mother was of Portuguese descent born and raised in Macao. She speaks Portuguese and Cantonese. My dad is full-blooded Chinese. He moved from Shanghai to Macao where he met my mom. He taught her Mandarin. The school we went to spoke Cantonese, my dad's job spoke Mandarin, and we lived in an area that spoke mainly Macanese- Portuguese or _Patua_. We were strongly influenced," Ren replied.

"It makes sense why your features are much more exotic than the rest of ours. Most Asians look almost alike physically, but you have higher cheekbones and slightly wider eyes." Woo Bin looked over and laughed. He switched to Korean with ease. "Sorry, Yugyeom-ah. We were discussing how we could change the move but then it kind of segued into the difference between Macanese, Portuguese and Chinese."

Yugyeom looked at Ren. "Is this true? I don't know why I'm asking. You don't understand."

"Ren!" Everyone turned as Yi Jeong walked up followed by another man. "Sorry I'm so late. I had a meeting I couldn't get out of, but I met this guy outside. He says the company sent him and he's your Korean manager?"

Ren stood up and bowed, just like her personality always stated. She spoke the only Korean phrase she knew fluently. "Hello, I'm Renner Wu, but everyone calls me Ren."

The other man smiled. "It's all right. I speak both dialects of Chinese. Speak freely in whichever one is more comfortable." She smiled at him and nodded. "I'm Shin Luhan, half-Korean and half-Chinese. I've been appointed as your new manager for when you work in Korea. I've already talked with Yixuan and Tao. They said you were here so I came to see what we could do."

Jackson watched the gentle smile that crossed Ren's face. She wasn't the only mixed blood anymore. Luhan was half-Chinese as well so it had to make her feel more at ease. She was already easy with Jackson and Mark because they had Chinese and Taiwanese descent, but here was Luhan who was stepping into a position that was going to be tough on anyone else. Luhan may just get her to be more receptive to more work in Korea.

Luhan pointed to another area of the café and Ren went with him. Yi Jeong took her spot and did the same thing the other three were doing. They looked at the two in the far corner.

"You may have just lost your chance, little cousin," Woo Bin said.

Yugyeom shook his head then looked down at the book he had pulled over to him. He had finally figured out a way to talk to Ren and now she was with someone else who could relate better to her. He had no idea how he was going to come out of this.

In the corner, Ren listened to Luhan as he spoke about what he was going to try to accomplish while he represented her. He wanted her to be able to branch out as much as she could while retaining her reputation as an easy-going actress. He wanted her to be able to use her martial arts knowledge to make better stunts.

He spoke in what she could identify as the Shanghai dialect. Her father still spoke with it even after leaving the city two decades before. It was easily recognizable and very familiar that it put her at ease.

Luhan looked up and met her gaze. "Also, there's one other thing I must ask. Tao and Yixuan denied it, but I have to double check. Whether it is here, China or Macao, is there anyone you are dating? I have to know so we can either keep it quiet or make it public now so your fans won't be too shocked when you talk about him. So, do you have a boyfriend or anyone you're interested in?"

Ren sat back and thought. She didn't have a boyfriend but if she thought about it honestly, there was someone she was interested in. She wasn't able to say anything to him because she couldn't get the words out. She had always had a hard time saying anything to the guy she liked. Renley had never had that issue, so it made things a little hard on her.

"There isn't anyone I'm seeing now, but if I said there wasn't anyone I wasn't interested in I would be lying," she answered.

A gentle smile graced his face. "Do I know him?" She shook her head. "Well, if you ever tell him, let me know. I'll do my best to make sure there isn't any backlash to your newfound relationship. I can do just about whatever you need me to do."

They talked a bit more before Ren had to leave once again. She was supposed to meet Tao for a conference call back in China for an upcoming movie they were trying to get her to sign. The life of an action star was always crazy. She wasn't one to complain about it, but now that Woo Bin was hoping to get the current television series in Korean and Chinese, she hoped things would be better.

She tapped Yugyeom on the shoulder to get his attention. When he turned to her she grabbed his tablet and stylus and immediately drew on the screen. Her gym bag was in his car and she didn't have time to go back and get it. She turned the screen back to him and watched as he interpreted.

"Yeah, I'll bring it home. Just stop by our house before going home," Yugyeom answered.

"We'll have dinner ready if you haven't eaten by the time you get back," Jackson said. "Feel free to stop by at any time to raid our cabinets."

Ren laughed at his crazy explanation. He was always being weird. She turned to Luhan. "I'm meeting Tao if you want to sit in on this conference call. I'm sure he will appreciate all the help you can give him. You probably understand this more than he does."

Luhan nodded. "I'll accompany you. My car is right out front."

She smiled and waved after gathering her stuff. With a hand to her back, Luhan followed her out of the café. Yugyeom watched dejectedly as the older man helped her into the car.

"Tell her," Woo Bin ordered. His cousin looked at him. "If you don't tell her, I will."

"Don't, hyung. I don't want to pressure her," Yugyeom answered as he watched the car pull away from the curb.

"If you continue sitting back, Luhan may make a move. Or your co-star. Someone else will catch her eye and there won't be anything you can do," Yi Jeong said.

Jackson watched the emotions run across his friend's face. Yugyeom wasn't going to be able to say anything. He had never been able to and that wasn't going to change. They were going to have to help him, and Jackson knew just how to do it.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: It's snowing again. I missed three days of work this week. I've been very unhappy even though I'm still getting paid for those days. If we miss two more days, we lose our spring break. That doesn't bother me. I can always watch dramas any time, but I don't want to go into June. It's too hot. I can handle the cold. I hate the heat.

I've been living at a friend's house because I don't have a working car at the moment. I am literally between my house and hers, and she told me that she was going to miss me when I officially go back to my house when I get my car fixed because she is so used to me being there.

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"Noona!"

Ren sat up on the couch as five of the seven guys barged into her house. She had been enjoying the peace and quiet of her day off. After working her butt off with her trainer then rehearsing her now Chinese lines for the show with Jackson, she needed the day off. Tao and Yixuan had gone to meet Luhan to discuss how they would work together. Ren had been lounging on the couch enjoying the silence and a book.

She watched Young Jae flip on her television. Mark lifted her head and sat down with it in his lap while Jackson sat at her feet. Young Jae flipped through the stations until he landed on the station notorious for covering false stories on Hallyu stars. She saw Yugyeom standing by the couch. He obviously didn't know what was going on.

Young Jae stepped back when he found what he was looking for.

 _"In new hit topics, Chinese actress Ren Wu was spotted with co-star Jackson Jung's roommate Song Yugyeom outside of Café Latte. Wu was hired to co-star with Jung in the upcoming action romance television series about a guy who finds out his friend's sister is one of the best undercover agents in Korea. But it seems like Wu has formed a close bond with Song instead. We reached out to their company but they have yet to confirm whether or not the two are in a romantic relationship. I guess we'll leave that up for you to decide."_

Yugyeom watched Ren closely as his brothers talked around him. They were indignant at the announcement but it was the woman who had yet to react. In the kitchen a phone rang. It had to be hers because she rolled off the couch and padded into the other room to answer it. She looked at it them gently hit her forehead with her fist while making a face before answering.

"It's her dad," Jackson said after a moment of listening.

Mark whistled. "That must be a wonderful conversation."

"Yugyeom-ah," Young Jae said. He waited until his little brother looked at him. "Are you secretly seeing Noona?"

Yugyeom shook his head. "No. The day that picture was taken she had left rehearsals early and accompanied me to my commercial shoot. We met Jackson and Woo Bin hyung at the café after that. It had to have been taken after we left."

"You haven't really made it obvious to her so I don't think she knows he likes her," Mark said. Yugyeom looked at him. "We know you well enough to know how you react to someone you like. Ren doesn't so she may just think you're a nice guy. She won't know your honest intentions."

"So make a move," Jackson said. "You already have a competitor for her hand. You'll lose if you don't do something."

Yugyeom's mouth worked for a moment. "You don't like her like that?"

Jackson shook his head. "No. I'm more concerned about what's going to happen once this television series is shot. She's going to have a harder time than she already is."

"How long do you think the saesangs will stay silent? Yugyeom is a huge star with hundreds of fans. He's young and they think he's all theirs. They won't take too kindly to this news," Mark said.

Yugyeom didn't like the sound of what they were saying. He looked over at Ren as she sat at her kitchen table listening to whatever her father was saying. She listened without arguing, almost like she knew arguing wasn't going to work. She looked smaller at that moment than she was actually was. Her family was her weakest point.

She hung up and stared at the table for the longest. She didn't say anything as she got up and walked into her room. When she came back, she had changed and had a duffle bag hanging from her shoulder. She dropped the bag then shrugged on a sweatshirt. Picking up the bag, she shoved her feet in her shoes and pushed open the door. Obviously she was just comfortable with them being in her house.

Jackson sighed and got up. Mark followed as well as Young Jae. The four men followed her outside and down the hallway. She was waiting at the elevator for them like she knew they would follow her. Being his usual self, when they stepped on the elevator Mark wrapped his arms around her neck and pulled her against him. For the first time, Yugyeom didn't feel jealous.

They stopped on the fifth floor for the men to briefly change their clothes. Yugyeom and Young Jae weren't versed in martial arts but it didn't stop them from going. Once everyone was ready, they took the elevator to the parking garage and found Mark's car. Jackson offered Ren the front seat but she shook her head and took the middle backseat between the brothers.

Paparazzi were waiting at the entrance of the garage. They obviously had been inspecting every car that pulled out from the confines of the building. Mark was careful as he pulled out on to the street but the men and women were adamant to check the car. They spotted Yugyeom and flashes started to blind everyone in the car. Young Jae had enough sense to cover Ren's face so she wasn't photographed again.

Somehow Mark managed to coax the car onto the road without hitting anyone. Jackson was on the phone with someone. Young Jae uncovered Ren's face but she grabbed his hand as he pulled it away. He looked down at their joined hands and noticed hers shook just a bit. He looked over her head at his little brother with a drawn look. Something had to have been said when she had been on the phone with her father to cause this.

Mark pulled up to the dojo Ren frequented, and they all recognized the yellow and orange Lotuses parked in the garage. Ren bailed out as fast as she could and hurried up the stairs. The guys really didn't blame her. They followed at a more sedate pace. When they walked into the open dojo, Woo Bin and Yi Jeong were sitting on the mat watching Ren as she lay upside down on the wall.

"What is she doing?" Mark asked.

"It's how she loosens up her back," Woo Bin answered as he leaned over his butterfly position to stretch his groin muscles. "We heard what happened with the media. Has Luhan called yet?"

Jackson dropped his bag and shucked his shoes to sit on the mat. "We don't know. She was on the phone with her father all morning after the news broke. Obviously it wasn't a good discussion. She hasn't said two words to us."

"You have no idea what I went through to get her here. I had to promise her father that I would watch everything she did from diet to relationships. She wasn't even supposed to be close to anyone but her managers and translator. The house had to be far enough away from any other actor so she wouldn't be tempted to do anything stupid," Woo Bin explained as he straightened his left leg and leaned over it.

"Is he that protective?" Mark asked as he too stretched for the upcoming sparring session that he knew was going to be intense.

"Not so much protective as concerned. Do you know anything about Renley Wu?" The younger four shook their heads. "Renley is Ren's younger twin sister. Renley wanted to be an actress and model from a young age. She began acting in school plays and even at one of the bigger casinos in Macao. Ren was more athletic so she went the martial arts route and became a stuntwoman first. When the girls were fourteen, they signed to the company to do a teen drama. They were magnificent, but Ren was shyer than Renley so she was overlooked. But Renley had ulterior motives. She wanted to be the best she could be so she did whatever she could to get the attention. She has had so many scandals that Kennet Wu has always been a little stricter on Ren."

"How bad were they?" Young Jae asked.

Yi Jeong sighed. "She tried to hit on me when I was in France a few years ago. We were photographed a couple of times, much to the annoyance of my girlfriend."

Woo Bin nodded. "Ga Eul nearly killed him because they've been through a lot." He leaned forward between his outstretched legs. "Ren's gotten most of the backlash. So much more is expected from her because she has never really had a scandal."

Jackson frowned. "We're supposed to start filming all of the love scenes next week. Does he not know what her character is?"

"He knows, but because it's a television series, he's okay with it. The issue he is going to have with this scandal is Yugyeom's age. Ren is going to be twenty-four in November. Yugyeom is five years younger. He doesn't think the woman should be the older partner in the relationship. It's hard to explain that that's acceptable in Korea. Another issue will be if she decides to remain in Korea or return to Macao. He doesn't want to lose his oldest child who will inherit his company."

That was news. "Inherit his company?"

"Kennet Wu owns the biggest casino in Macao. His net worth is nearly over two billion American dollars. He doesn't have any sons so he put in his will that whichever child keeps her nose clean better gets his money," Yi Jeong said. "Ren would inherit two thirds of the inheritance while Renley would get one third."

"So she would be richer than you?" Young Jae asked.

"She would be second to Shinhwa Group to be technical, and that's only because Shinhwa Group is an investor."

The four younger guys watched the woman stand then start tumbling on the mat. Light as a feather, she bounced around until she finally stood in the middle of the sea of blue. Her chest heaved as she stared at the floor. Sweat poured down the back of her neck. She turned her head to them.

"Oppa," she said. It was the one word she knew that would get their attention.

Woo Bin stood and straightened his tank as he walked over to her. They started respectfully, bowing before they set up. They started with simple hand slaps before Ren just dropkicked him. Woo Bin huffed out a breath as he rolled onto his shoulders. His judo training wasn't going to be enough to defend against mixed martial arts and Kung Fu. He was out of his league but he wasn't going to stop.

Somewhere in the middle, Jackson and Mark joined in the fun, leaving Young Jae, Yugyeom and Yi Jeong to sit back and watch. The four people were a blur of movements as they took turns on the offensive. Ren was skilled and she had put everything out of her mind. She was calculating the next move before the guys even attacked. She was so fluid in the way she moved it didn't take long before she had all three men on their butts tapping out.

The four collapsed side by side on the mat and fought to catch their breaths. Jackson rolled over and threw one leg over Ren's. The woman started to laugh at his antics before she pushed him away and rolled over. Yugyeom got up and brought over the four bottles of water that had been sitting on the edge of the mat. He handed Mark a towel and the latter used it to mop at the sweat on the woman's face. That started a fight that lasted until they were interrupted.

"Who would be here?" Woo Bin asked between sips of water. "We asked for this place for two hours."

"Ah hell," Yi Jeong cursed. But it was too late.

"Well, well, well, it looks like my big sister is just as bad as I am."

Ren's back tightened and Mark looked over. A face identical to the woman sitting stood in the front door. She was dressed in designers with three inch heels on her feet. A few inches shorter and the entire world would be able to see up her skirt. It was thirty degrees outside and she wore a sleeveless shirt with her jacket draped over her shoulders. It was amazing she wasn't cold.

Ren looked up then stood. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to know how my big sister was doing. I was on a plane here when papa called me to say that I had rubbed off on you. I hadn't a clue what he was talking about until I walked in, but now I understand. You've had your first scandal."

She turned to the guys in the room and bowed respectfully. "Hello, I'm Renley Wu, Ren's younger twin. It's nice to meet you. Please take care of me."

"You never answered my question, Ley. What are you doing here?" Ren asked again.

"I have a shoot here in Seoul, and I thought it would be a great time to see what my sister was up to. I had no idea you were surrounded by such handsome men. Now I understand why you took up martial arts. Other than the grotesque sweat, it's not that bad."

Woo Bin and Jackson looked down at what they were wearing. Normally the two would be highly flattered, but the tone of voice the new woman had said it in had put them off.

Yugyeom looked at Ren. She was standing there like she was used to the way her sister was talking but her hands shook again. There was no love between these two. He didn't know what had happened to cause the riff, but Ren hadn't said anything to her sister. She had just put up with it.

"I heard Lin was here as well," Renley continued.

"Lin's working on the show with me," Ren answered.

"Maybe I should see if I can get a cameo. You know how popular I am."

Ren didn't say anything but the clenching of her fists said she didn't want her sister anywhere near the show. Woo Bin sat up and padded over to Renley. She had to look up at him, but there was adoration in her eyes. It was obvious what the woman really wanted.

"Why don't I show you around Seoul?" he offered.

Yi Jeong slid up beside them. "How about we both show you?"

Renley beamed. "I would be delighted. How about we all go to dinner tonight?" she asked in Korean.

She was sly, but Jackson was better. "We can't. We officially start shooting tonight. It will be late so we won't be able."

The younger twin shrugged then linked her arms with the older men. "Fine by me. It means I get these two handsome men to myself." She spoke the entire time as she led Woo Bin and Yi Jeong out the front door.

Mark turned to Ren when they were gone. "Why didn't you say anything?" he asked in Mandarin. It was now a habit.

She shook her head as she walked over to the edge of the mat. "It wouldn't do any good. Renley gets what she wants every time. It doesn't matter what I say."

The guys didn't like the way she answered that, even if only two of them understood the words. The tone was universal. She was pulling back from them already. The last month they had worked together was slowly being chipped away and she was starting to hide in the shell she had been wrapped in the first time they had met.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: It's still nasty outside. I went out and played in it last night. I know I'm an adult but that doesn't mean the little child in me doesn't come out. I love snow for about twenty minutes and I'm going to play in it for that time. Then I get annoyed with it and want to go back inside with a hot cup of tea. Which I did. It was fun though.

(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(

Jackson stared at the set that Yi Jeong had designed fashionably. It was supposed to be the room of a late twenty-something. It would fit his girlfriend's personality, but Ren was a completely different story.

It looked beautiful to the eye but you had to see through everything to understand what was going on. Ren's character, Li Xuan, was supposed to be a sophisticated woman who could kill at a moment's notice. She was a fighter for hire or mercenary who had known Jackson's character's, Geum Joon Jae, father since she was a child. She was supposed to be the tough person to crack since she only spoke Mandarin.

Their first scene was supposed to be in that room. Jackson looked over at the noise he heard. He saw Ren coming out of makeup talking hotly with Yixuan. The translator was trying to be nice but Ren wasn't having it. She had already known what was going on when she signed the contact for this series. It didn't matter what was going on anymore. She was supposed to be in character.

Jackson had to hand it to her. Since the news had broken about her supposed affair with Yugyeom and her sister had surprisingly shown up, Ren had been very tightlipped on everything. She hadn't said anything bad about anyone and had done her work like she had been asked. Last night had been their first night of filming the first episode and she had given a performance that even Jackson admired. She seemed so much more driven.

If he said he wasn't nervous, he'd be lying. He was still technically a virgin. He'd had some heavy petting with one of his girlfriends but as for sex, he'd never done it. This was the closest he had ever gotten with anyone.

Ren didn't look nervous at all. She was so confident he wondered what was going through her mind. She walked up to him and smiled slightly. He couldn't tell if she was nervous or just steeling her nerves. She didn't look to be shaking, unlike Jackson whose hands were jumping with a mixture of adrenaline and fear.

The director called for the two to get ready. The pretense of the first episode is that Jackson is drugged at his club in a kidnapping attempt. Ren saves him and takes him to her home where the drug takes its toll and they sleep together. It's not as cliché as it sounded. Ren is supposed to be helping him out.

Talking them through the entire scene, Jackson leaned over and translated to Ren so she would understand. Her eyes went between him and the director as both spoke at the same time. He wasn't supposed to touch her breasts or between her legs, and she couldn't touch between his. They were supposed to remain strictly within the rating of 15 since their target audience was teenagers and early twenty-somethings. If they went into the 19 rating, they would have to push their air time back.

Director Cha looked between his two actors. One was nervous and the other he could hardly tell what was going through her head. He asked if they needed a quick run through, but Jackson shook his head. He was so nervous it made sense he wanted to get it over and done with.

With the cameras set in the hallway and house, Director Cha called action and the two stumbled down the hallway. Jackson's head bounced from side to side like it would if he had actually been drugged. Ren treated him like he was an idiot. She propped him up to the wall as she punched in the code to the rented apartment and pulled the door open. She shoved Jackson through it and onto the entryway.

The camera angle switched and picked up on the woman as she pulled the man's shoes off. She kicked hers off and stepped into the entryway to heft the man by his shoulders. He slurred his words as she carried him all the way into the house. She dumped him unceremoniously on the bed and left him there as she went back into the kitchen.

It was quiet on the set as everyone held their breath as the scene began to unfold. Ren was totally in character. She wasn't Renner Wu; she was now Li Xuan and Jackson was Geum Joon Jae. So when she walked back into the bedroom to find Joon Jae half naked, things were about to get into the meat of this scene.

Li Xuan returned back to the bed to cover Joon Jae up but the man grabbed her arm. He rubbed his thumb into her elbow as his half-lidded gaze captured hers. He grabbed her in a tighter grip and pulled her over him onto the bed. Li Xuan landed hard then looked up as Joon Jae as he hovered above her.

But it wasn't Joon Jae that awakened when he kissed the woman beneath him. It was Jackson. The actor was dominate and he was aware of what he was doing. Luckily they weren't filming a porno so he didn't actually have to do anything, but in the back of his mind he kept telling himself to keep it rated correctly.

When Director Cha finally called cut, they were cuddled in the bed under the covers. Jackson looked over at Ren. She caught his gaze and smiled then sat up and corrected her bra straps. Director Cha called for a ten minute break before they slipped into the next bedroom scene, and the two sat in the bed as their makeup artists came to do touchups.

"Jackson," Ren said as soon as her makeup was once again perfect. He cut his eyes to her since he couldn't fully turn. "I know you woke up halfway through it. Thanks for not making it obvious."

"It was frightening to think that you would hate me afterward," he answered.

She shook her head. "I don't think that way, but I wonder how Mark is going to react in a couple of weeks when we have to do this all over again."

As he thought about that, Jackson knew that Mark was going to be a little more serious about the whole love scene than Jackson was. Mark's character was Ren's fiancé and fellow mercenary in this drama. Even now they didn't know what the end was going to be like. They didn't know if Li Xuan would stay with Wen Mao or if she would go to Geum Joon Jae. But Director Cha had already said that Li Xuan's relationship with Wen Mao was a loose one but they had a lot of respect for and obviously had some love for each other.

They finished their scenes and dressed in their street clothes they had worn in the afternoon before. It was seven in the morning the next day. They yawned as they walked down the hallway as they waited for their car to pick them up.

"Do you want to get something to eat? We can get coffee before we head home," Jackson said as he opened the door for her to get in the car.

Ren waited for him to get in the car before she answered. "Even though we were allowed to take naps on set, I'm really tired and we're supposed to film the action sequence tonight. I just want to go home and sleep."

Jackson smiled and nodded. "I completely understand."

They were silent as the car took them home. Ren was quiet as she slept on the way back to their building. When the car pulled into the garage, Jackson helped her out of the car and into the elevator. Tonight would be the third time they had filmed the action sequence. Mark would be involved as well but Jackson's character didn't know who he was yet.

Ren watched Jackson step off the elevator at floor seven. She waved goodbye as the doors shut and she went up five more floors. Her sister was staying at the hotel owned by Shinhwa so she wouldn't be a bother. Tao and Yixuan were at the company with Luhan discussing things that would come up after the series was filmed.

She stepped off the elevator and went to her door. Punching in her code, she went inside and kicked her shoes off immediately. Her coat followed before she went to the shower to clean up. She washed up then crashed on the couch with a wet head. Sleep instantly took her as soon as she got situated.

A few hours later Luhan ventured in the house. The meetings were over and the other two had other things they had to take care of. They had asked him to come over and check in on Ren because she had filmed all night. Gladly, he had come straight over.

Thankfully the other men had given him the pass code to the house so he could come over if he absolutely needed to do so. He had been asked so he needed to do so. Punching in the code he opened the door and went inside. The lights were all off but there was music playing softly in the background.

He walked in and found Ren sleeping peacefully in the living room. Her head was wet but she was out so he didn't think it mattered. He grabbed the throw on the back of the couch and spread it out, finally tossing it over her to keep her warm. She didn't wake up, but she fisted her hands in the blanket and buried her nose in it. Luhan smiled then went into the kitchen to start on something to eat for when she woke up.

Ren woke up to the clattering of tableware and stoneware. She sat up and looked towards the kitchen. Sighing she got up and went to the kitchen for some water and to see what the hell was going on.

"Luhan," she said as she saw him standing in her kitchen at her stove. "What are you doing?"

"I'm making food for you," he answered.

"I see that. Why?"

"Tao said you probably haven't eaten. Ouch!"

Ren shoved him aside as he burned himself. She took over cooking the black bean noodles that he was having a hard time doing so. Once she got the boiling under control, she grabbed the first aid kit out of one of the cabinets and opened it.

"Use the burn cream. It won't boil up if you do so," she said. "I'll finish this. How do you not know how to make jajangmyeon?"

"My mother used to make food in our house. My brothers and I never learned to cook," he answered.

"It's amazing you are even alive."

"People take pity on and feed me. I get free food all the time."

She cast him a droll stare. "I bet you are so popular."

He laughed. "I get by."

It didn't take much time to finish the meal. Ren pulled the pot off the eye and headed to the table. Luhan put cooling pads under it so it wouldn't burn the wood. Ren went back to the kitchen to get drinks then they sat down to enjoy the food that had nearly cost Luhan his hand.

"I handled the scandal that came out two weeks ago," Luhan said as they were halfway through the noodles.

Ren looked up at him. "How did it go?"

"Not too well. I had to explain that you and Yugyeom are just friends and that you don't speak Korean so you will always be with one of the guys who does. It just happened to be Yugyeom this time."

"I'm pretty sure you're going to be pretty busy in the coming weeks."

Luhan wrinkled his nose. "What do you mean?"

"Renley's in town. She says she's doing a photo shoot but I'm pretty sure she's here just to stir up trouble. She's already met Song Woo Bin and So Yi Jeong. She's going to try to get her nails in one of them. Yi Jeong's reputation has cleared up since he's been with Ga Eul, but Woo Bin isn't tied to anyone. She's going to try to sink her nails into him. She's very selfish. I don't know if Woo Bin or anyone sees that."

"And everyone compares her to you." Ren looked up at him again. Luhan held her gaze. "I know what everyone has said. You're in your sister's shadow all the time even though you're as equally talented. It doesn't help that you're identical, does it?"

She didn't answer him, so he went on. "You're too quiet, Ren. You should speak up when something bothers you. Tell your sister what she does is hurting you."

"That's easier said than done. If I did that, she would tell everyone I hurt her feelings and turn it around on me. It's how she's always done it because she is the baby. Nothing I say ever has any effect so it's better just to be quiet about it."

"I'm pretty sure you have people here who would believe you over your nasty sister."

"We believe you, Noona."

Hearing the word Noona, Ren looked at the entryway to see seven familiar faces standing there watching her. A mixture of annoyance and relief washed over her before annoyance took control. She slammed her chopsticks down the table and crossed her arms.

"How the hell do you keep getting in here?" she asked, to which Luhan immediately translated.

The guys laughed as they entered the house and set up whatever they had in their plastic bags on her coffee table. Jackson grabbed the pot of jajangmyeon and carried it over. All nine gathered around the table to share the food.

"I have an idea," JB said suddenly.

"What?" Junior asked as he shoved tteokbokki in his mouth.

"There are nine of us here. We should go by names from the Fellowship."

"Luhan's Gandalf!" Jackson announced suddenly.

"Hey! Am I that old?" Luhan argued.

"You're older than us," Mark agreed.

"So who is everyone else?" BamBam asked.

Finally after a little bit of arguing, they finally decided who was who. Luhan was Gandalf, Ren was Legolas, Jackson was Gimli, Mark was Boromir, BamBam was Merry, Yugyeom was Pippin, Junior was Sam and JB was Frodo simply because it was his idea.

They settled into little discussions that no one was going to understand later. Mark pulled Ren against him, and this time she went willingly. There was nothing better than having friends who supported you, but that wasn't going to last with the way things were going. Renley was probably going to make sure of that.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: I want to give a shout out to Jayjayzek who wrote her first story! I'm super proud and excited to read more from her! She's been a great supporter to me and I want to give her as much love she has given me! Check out her story!

(&

Yugyeom followed Young Jae through the ER doors. They had just arrived home from work when they had gotten the call from Director Cha. There had been an accident on set and Jackson had been rushed to the hospital. They hadn't heard anything else as they had called the others and had headed to the hospital.

They hadn't heard anything else on their way. Texting Mark and Ren had been a busy so they had just gotten there as fast as they could.

Traffic had been a butt but they had made it without causing an accident. They had finally gotten in touch with BamBam to let him know what was going on and JB was already at the hospital. All they needed was Mark and Junior and everyone would be accounted for.

Mark was sitting in the room but it wasn't Jackson who was in the bed. Ren had an IV hooked up to her arm with gauze wrapped around her forearm. Jackson had some wrapped around his head and his arm in a sling. They seemed fine but who would know with injuries.

"Hyung," Young Jae said as they closed the door behind them, "what happened?"

"The rigging for one of our stunts wasn't set right. Ren tried to keep Jackson from falling into the metal rods someone had stupidly put under the rig. Jackson hit his head and shoulder, and Ren cut her arm on the rods. When she got here, she was dehydrated so they put her on a IV," Mark explained. "Director Cha is handling the insurance part."

"What about the rigging?" Yugyeom asked.

"They're going to check it before we use it," Jackson replied.

Yugyeom passed Mark as he walked to the head of the bed. He ran his hand along Ren's hairline until she looked up at him. After looking at him for a few moments, she closed her eyes and settled for the gentleness of his touch.

"Shouldn't she be in a private room?" JB asked.

"This is a private room." They all looked over at the door as it closed again. "I'm Dr. Yoon Ji Hoo. I'm the doctor on this case."

"Hey, hyung," Young Jae said as the man walked into the room. "This Is one of Woo Bin hyung's best friends."

Ji Hoo walked over to the bed and gently moved Yugyeom aside. He did his round of checkup then he checked the IV and her pupils. Ren was passive as she waited for him to finish her checkup.

The doctor stepped back with his file pressed against his thighs. "A couple more hours and you can go home. I suggest you drink a little bit more water to stay hydrated as you work. It doesn't help if you have cramping while doing action sequences."

Jackson tapped the man on the shoulder. "She didn't understand a word you just said."

"I'm a bit rusty on my Mandarin so can you translate for me?"

Jackson wasted no time. Ren listened to him with an open mouth then asked a series of questions. Their full on conversation was so normal that everyone else just waited until they were done. Jackson finally looked up.

"She wants to know if she has to wait a few days before she continues to work,"he said.

Ji Hoo shook his head. "No, but with anemia and dehydration you should be careful. I noticed you take iron supplements. Do you have issues with your menstrual cycle as well?"

The younger guys cringed as Mark asked the question. He had older sisters she he was very well versed in the conversations of women's issues. He looked at Ji Hoo and nodded as Ren spoke.

"She says it runs in her family. Her twin sister has the same issues but it's more manageable since she's not as active physically." He actually paused as she made a face. "Well, not athletically active. That can't be said for sexually."

"Are you sexually active?"

Mark repeated, once again unfazed by the personal questions, but Ren's remark had him pausing before he translated what she said. His look of shock was mirrored in Jackson's face.

"Hyung, you can't repeat that," he whispered, his face steadily going red.

"What did she say?" Ji Hoo prompted. Mark and Jackson chewed on their bottom lips as they tried to keep tight lipped. "I'm the attending physician. I need to know."

"She said if you're so worried about it maybe you should try," Jackson finally answered.

Ji Hoo laughed then looked down. "I can tell you feel better. So I'm going to prescribe a higher dosage of your iron supplement. You should make an appointment with a gynecologist in the next few weeks." He raised an eye at her when she said something he actually understood. "What do you mean you don't want to?"

Ren didn't answer, instead looking at the wall. Ji Hoo shared a look with the others before he excused himself. Mark kicked off his shoes then climbed in the bed with her, resting his head on her shoulder.

"You should have answered him," he said.

"It's not something I want to talk about with a random doctor. If he wants to know, he can call my doctor in Macau," she said.

JB and Junior excused themselves to get food for everyone. Yugyeom and Jackson pulled up chairs by the bed and sat quietly. Young Jae couldn't take the silence so he turned on a some music softly.

The door slammed open. Renley sauntered through looking concerned. Ren sighed and rubbed between her eyes. She watched her sister walk over, touching the guys as she did so. She finally slung herself across the bed and feigned sadness and concern.

"Why didn't you call me?" she asked. "I could have come right over."

"When?" Ren asked. "After you had you way with Yoon Ji Hoo or Song Woo Bin?"

"Oppa is still hung up on his girlfriend. And is Yoon Ji Hoo that scrumptious doctor I passed in my way in?"

Ren glared at her sister but Renley was a little too stupid to understand what it meant. She had never been able to pick up on her sister's moods. It what happened when you spent all your life being self-absorbed.

Renley's gaze took in the room and everyone in it. She looked extra hard at Mark who stared her down. He hadn't moved when she had come in. In fact he had wrapped his arm around Ren's waist and tossed one leg over hers. He wasn't moving and dared Renley to say something.

"Now I understand why Papa is concerned. The men you hang out with are delicious," she said.

"Would you please leave? I don't have time for your snide comments. I'm supposed to be relaxing," Ren said.

"Well since you asked so nicely I will, but I'm going on an interview tomorrow. They will ask me questions about your scandal."

"Don't you dare lie. None of this was my fault."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm just going to say I'm dating Song Yugyeom."

Ren felt the hatred simmering in her belly reached a fever pitch. Renley was baiting her. If she rose to it, her sister would tell the world she actually likes Yugyeom which wasn't a lie. But if she let it pass, Renley would use Yugyeom then dump him and smear his name as a lousy lover. It was her MO. She had done it to eight different men in the last two years. Then she always played the victim. She would kill the young man's reputation.

Mark felt Ren's hand tighten in his shirt. The statement before had pissed her off. It was a dead giveaway how she felt even though she wasn't going to say anything.

"Yugyeom already has a girlfriend," Jackson quipped. All three looked at him. "You don't know her so don't worry about who she is."

Renley looked at Ren. The older twin didn't say anything. She wasn't going to even if she was pushed to the ends of the earth. It was why Mark and Jackson were concerned. Sighing she buried her needled hand in Mark's hair and pressed her cheek against it.

"Go away. I don't want to see you right now," she said.

Renley leaned over and kissed her sister's temple. Ren allowed her to do it because she was too tired to fight her. She was already nervous about what her sister was going to do. Renley could do a lot of damage in a short amount of time.

"You have to stand up to her," Mark said. "Yugyeom is counting on this. It's all he's wanted to do. If he loses it, I don't know what he'll do."

"My sister is petty. She will ruin someone simply because he refuses her. She won't let anyone ruin her because she puts up the defenseless woman routine. Everyone buys into it so she got the reputation as a really petty person. Unfortunately they think I'm like that as well because we're twins and I don't really stand up for myself," she replied. "And it's not because I'm afraid of her. I could kick her ass with my pinky. I don't fight back because if I did, she would be disinherited and cast out of our family registry."

"Is it that bad?"

"My parents don't know half the things she's done. I had to cover for her a lot during our trainee days. I know all her dirty little secrets. She's never hidden anything from, like she knows I won't tell. Many I have no interest in telling because they're stupid. But two are the worst she's done."

"Many would call you stupid."

She shrugged. "I don't rat on people I care about, but I will protect them. Renley is looking for a payout. She will do what she wants until I get fed up and lash back. If I ever do that, her career will be over."

Mark let out a long held breath. "I always thought you were timid. But under all that you're calculating."

"Not calculating. I'm just tired of mind games."

JB and Junior returned shortly after with food for everyone. While they were eating Ji Hoo returned to remove the IV needle and changed the bandages on both patients. They were discharged shortly thereafter.

The guys offered Ren one of their beds but she turned them down. She wanted to go home. They didn't argue with her so when they got to their building they stepped off on the fifth floor while she went to the twelfth.

Finally alone, she changed clothes then went to her room. She reached under her bed and pulled out a engraved wooden box that held all of her possessions. Usually she never pulled it out unless she was homesick but meeting Renley at the hospital had been hard on her, especially after telling why she was so nervous around people.

Slowly she went through everything. Memories filled the box. Her parents, her sister when they actually had gotten along, and many of the casts she has been a of were great reminders of what she had come through.

But it was the last two photos that were the hardest to look at. Gently she pulled them out and looked them over. They were pictures of someone she would never meet.

Renley smiled up at her, her face radiant as she posed for the camera. She was nineteen in this photo but she looked older. She looked happier than Ren has ever seen her. Even as kids she hadn't been this happy as she was in the this photo.

But it was the second photo that was even more gut wrenching. Renley was there again but this time she was with a man. She looked so content with life, like she could continue on no matter what happened. Ren wondered what had happened to make this happy couple disappear from the world.

Flipping over the picture, she read the neat Cantonese written on the back.

"Renley Wu, James Chen and Nolan Chen, age three months"

Ren wiped at the tears as she heard the door ding as it locked behind whoever had come in. She sat still as someone knocked on her door. Whoever it was huffed as he sat behind her, his legs going on either of hers. He reached around and picked the photo from her loose fingers.

"So this is Renley's secret?"

She didn't understand what was said but she knew it was Yugyeom who sat behind her. Without a second thought, she leaned back against him and pressed her face into his neck. His cross earring bounced against her forehead a couple of times before it settled.

He tapped her in the shoulder a few moments later. Opening her eyes, he handed her the translator with his question in Mandarin.

"Why haven't you told?"

She answered and pressed the translate button. "It's her secret. She should tell."

"But if it hurts you and your family, it should be known."

"It will hurt Renley more."

Yugyeom didn't understand since all he had seen was Renley torturing her sister, but he didn't argue with Ren. Instead he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her to him. She was so fragile that he didn't want to touch her but he didn't want to let her go. But it was Ren that made the ultimate decision for him.

"Kkwak jabajwo," she whaipered.

Yugyeom happily obliged, buried his nose behind her ear.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: I'm trying to get this story done. I know what I'm going to do with the next few chapters. I'm going to wrap it up like i usually do, and probably with a plot twist of some sort. I need to finish the Lord of the Ringa story but I'm not motivated to do that yet.

Good news is the snow is gone but it's muddy and cold. I had a nice walk home from work today to ease my tension so it was nice. Then I did a random dance play with kpop which was fun.

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"Li Xuan."

Ren shifted and buried her face in the pillow. She didn't want to move after being warm for so long. It just seemed wrong.

After a few moments of prodding and batting an annoying hand away, she finally rolled over and looked up. Mark unexpectedly looked down at her. But it wasn't Mark she was looking at. It was his character Wen Mao, lover and partner of Li Xuan.

But that wasn't the issue. Ren had really gone to sleep after their scene. She had really gotten into her character. Luckily they were so far into the story that it made sense. They were currently working on episode six in which Jae Joon surprises Li Xuan at home only to find Mao. The scene was supposed to be serious, but the look on Mark's face was anything but. He found it amusing.

He had the right after everything that had been going on. Not long after Yugyeom found out Renley's secret, Ren's house had been broken into while she had been asleep. Nothing had been taken but the place had been destroyed. She had gone down to the boys' dorm shaken and near tears.

JB, who had been in the hallway when she has come down the stairs, had pulled her into the house and wrapped her in a blanket. No one had said a word about her being in a pair of shorts and a tank top. They had taken care of her despite not understanding the rambhling Mandarin that had spouted from her mouth. Even Jackson and Mark had had a hard time translating.

It had been nearly a week before she had even thought about staying in her house, and since then she has barely slept. Every time she had closed her eyes, she had seen her destroyed house and had woken up instantly. So every morning when she went to work she was exhausted.

Mark teased her every time he saw her, but he was the first one to offer to walk her home of give her a ride. He and Jackson were still hellbent on finding the guy who had broken in but they had put her security first since they didn't know if it was a stalker or some other lunatic.

Mark/Mao ran his hand through her hair then trailed a finger down her face. "You ruined my plans you know."

They had filmed the engaged couple's love scene and Mark had been as professional as Jackson. He had reacted as a real lover would react. He had been just as gentle and just as caring as his friend. But they had laughed more than she and Jackson because they were supposed to already know each other intimately. It helped that Ren and Mark were friends. It gave them an easy waynto act like real lovers would. They were able to goof off and yet get the scene done.

They were supposed to wake up and start a fresh love scene, but Ren has fallen asleep without meaning to. She wondered briefly how long ahw had been out when Mark ran his fingers along her jaw and end propped himself up with his hand, giving her a good look at his chest.

She pulled her head out of the blankets. "Sorry. I was tired." It wasn't part of the script but no one was going to stop them. She had already deviated. "What time is it?"

"Two in the afternoon."

She thought about it then scooted forward and hugged him, cheek pressed against his bare chest. "Screw it."

The rest of the scene went by as scheduled. Jackson was perfect in his surprise and Mark was haughty. It was flawless. As soon as the director yelled cut, they burst out in laughter. Mark covered Ren up with a robe then covered himself.

They changed to get ready for lunch. Craft foods were on hand but they weren't feeling the heaviness of the food. So they went for coffee and croissants. Mark finally told her she had aleot for two hours after their first scene. The director had wanted to wake her up, but once Mark had explained what had been going on, Cha had let her sleep and that they would start when she had woken up. Luckily enough for them, she had enough sense to retain her lines and Mark was well versed in improvisation.

No sooner had they stepped out of the coffee shop did the press descend. Cameras were going off all around them. Jackson and Mark pushed her back against the building and stood in front of her as a sort of protection.

"Is it true, Wu-ssi? Are you dating someone five years younger than you? Are you living with him now?" one reporter asked.

"What about the story that you and yur sister are fighting over him?" another asked.

Ren gripped Mark's shirt tightly as the man shuffled along the wall towards his car. When they made it to the edge of the building, Mark inclined his head and she bolted around the corner. Luckily one of them had called JB because he waited just inside the alley in his car. She jumped in the front seat and he slammed the car in reverse then into drive when the were clear.

"What happened?" he asked as they slid through traffic. "What was that all about?"

"Renley opened her mouth to the press. She's trying to start trouble," she replied as she pulled out her phone. "She's starting a rumor that we're fighting over someone."

"What are you going to do?"

Ren didn't answer because she didn't know yet. She was tossing ideas are in her head but at every corner she only came to one conclusions. She was going to have to play dirty with her sister, and it was Renley who was going to be hurt. She was going to lose her career because of it. A little part of Ren was sad but her sister needed her ass kicked. Ren could kill her easily but she wasn't that low. She wasn't going to publicly humiliate her sister, but she would make things right.

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Yugyeom stood in the kitchen and listened to the foreign conversation going on across the room. Ren had come home and he had gone up to see how things were going. She had answered the door while on the phone and hadn't taken a breath to say hello to him. Not that he minded. He was just happy she hadn't been injured that afternoon when the media had bombarded them.

There wasn't much he could do as she spoke to someone so he had set about making fried rice. He remembered that she didn't like eggs so he fried his on the side. He made sure he put the kimchi in though.

She finished talking and tossed the phone on her on the couch. She kicked a pillow and it knocked over a vase. Luckily it was plastic so it bounced a couple of times and rolled under the coffee table. She picked it up and set it back where it belonged. She came into the kitchen and pulled a couple of bowls and glasses from the cabinet.

"What did your dad say?" Yugyeom asked via computer. He had set her laptop up to translate their conversations.

"He doesn't believe the rumors. He knows I'm not really dating anyone. If I did, he would be the first to know," she answered.

"Does he know about me?" Ren looked up at him. He tilted his head as he watched her. "He doesn't know that you're actually seeing me does he?"

Ren dropped her hands to her lap and ran them over her knees. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and stared just over his shoulder. She hadn't thought about it too much. The two of them had just been hanging out as far as she was concerned. Did she like him? Yes. Had she ever thought of mentioning it? No. She knew after this series she would be going back to Macau. She hadn't thought about bringing anyone back with her.

Yugyeom saw the nervous look come across her face as she thought about it. He didn't know how he felt about it, but he didn't push her. He continued eating without asking anything else.

"Yugyeom." He looked up at he even asthe computer spoke. "I wasn't trying to be mean, but I didn't know you thought like that."

He smiled. "it's okay. I don't usually say what I want. Its a bad habit I've had since I was small."

Ren sighed. "I don't know if I want to take anyone back with me. It'd be hard for anyone who couldn't communicate."

He pointed to the computer before he typed. "What is this? I think we did fairly well. And immersion is a good way to learn a new language."

She understood where he was coming from but she didn't necessarily agree. She was still having problems learning Korean. Cantonese and Mandarin were somewhat worse.

Yugyeom pushed away from the table and rounded it. He took Ren by her hands and pulled her up so she was facing him. Taking her right hand that was in his left, he placed it over his heart. She looked at their hands then into his face. He sighed/smiled as he drummed his fingers along her hand.

"Wu Renner-ah. Noona. I really like you." She tried to pull her hand away but he held firm. "I don't care what your sister says. If she says something and the press asks me, I'm going to tell them we are in a relationship."

Ren didn't know what he had just said but she had understood the gist of it. He was going to kwt her go. She wasn't sure she could either, but there were some things that were weighing against it.

She reached around him and pulled out his phone. She typed something on it then handed it back to him. With her hand still pressed to his chest, he took it and read the message.

"Do you want to come to Taiwan with me?"

"What's in Taiwan?"

"Something I must take care of."

Yugyeom didn't know what it meant but he had a feeling that if he didn't do something, she wouldn't return.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: So today (Jan. 27) was my birthday and I had a blast. I went to work but I don't really remember it. It went by so fast. Then I went to Korea Day at the public library! I had so much fun by myself! It was so amazing to listen to all of the students. And I could pick up on some of their conversations. I amazed them with my limited knowledge of Korean. It was so much fun!

It took all day to write most of this. I had nothing to do at work today, which is probably why it went by so fast. I didn't have my phone or my tablet and I was basically in my room all day. It was a blast. But my phone was blowing up when I turned it on. Everyone was wishing me happy birthday.

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"How much further?"

Ren laughed as she listened to Jackson moan and groan as they took the steep incline of the gentle mountain slope. After inviting ONLY Yugyeom to Taiwan, Mark, Jackson and BamBam invited themselves. Young Jae wanted to come but he had a schedule in Japan over the weekend so he had to cancel.

They had landed in Taipei and had taken a bus to one of the outermost country towns at the base of the mountain. The trail they had to hike was steep but clear and manageable. They were headed to a small village that had about two hundred villagers. It was a little bit of a hike but it was worth it.

The weather was warm. It was always warm like this in Taiwan. Since the island lay on the Tropic of Cancer, it was almost always warm. Since it was winter it wasn't too bad, but it was much warmer than Seoul. They had all changed into shorts, t-shirts and tennis shoes.

"Why do I feel that you've been here before?" Mark asked.

"Because I have been here many times. I come here as often as I can. This year has been a little difficult to do so, but I have thought about it many times. Luckily Director Cha gave us the long weekend," she answered.

There had been a scheduling conflict with one of the recurring characters, and the actor had to postpone filming scenes for episode ten. Director Cha had taken the opportunity to give her actors time off. When she had heard that, Ren had booked two tickets to Taiwan. Those two had multiplied to five somehow in the end so it really didn't matter.

Yugyeom paced beside Ren, amazed at how easy she took to the rocky terrain. She was sweating as much as the guys were and wasn't complaining. She was sure footed as she took the lead on this adventure.

He had followed her blindly without knowing what she was going to do. She had asked him if he had wanted to go to Taiwan and he had accepted with out preamble. He had gotten caught while he has been packing and his friends had invited themselves. Not that he had minded. Now it wasn't ask awkward as it could have been.

They passed through a red gate. Ren stopped just inside and respectfully bowed at a worn down monolith. As they all followed her motions, they noticed the writings and drawings were all faded on the stone.

"What is it?" BamBam asked as they walked away from it.

"This is known as the Door of the Gods. Many mountains are obviously of higher elevation and it was believed the gods resided in mountains while on earth," Ren explained as she continued on.

"Are you Buddhist?" Mark asked.

"No, but even though I don't practice this religion, I believe you should respect it and the people who believe in it."

They trekked a little ways more before they came to the village. The laughter of children was potent as they wandered in. There was a sudden shout before the five of them were surrounded by kids.

Laughing Ren sat in the dirt and listened to the kids ramble incessantly. There were bits of conversation that could be heard over the chatter, but Ren's attention was for the kids. She stopped them briefly and pulled her pack around her. She opened it and pulled out packages of treats for the kids. They ran away happily, each opening one and sharing.

The guys follows her through the village as she made her way through. She was so at home that she made it easy on them. She stopped by one house and smiled at the woman out front at the same time she offered a greeting. They conversed briefly before Ren handed over some cloth and a bag of items.

"Only you would be able to cause such a stir in this normally peaceful village."

Four people turned around because they understood and the fifth because he wanted to know who was speaking. A tall man with dark brown hair with a light blue shirt and khaki pants walked up. He smiled then ruffled Ren's hair when he reached her. Ren wasn't shy with him. She hugged him tightly because she hadn't seen him in a while.

"Did you just decide to show up?" he asked with his arm slung around her shoulders.

"Yes. When do I ever plan? Oh, Yugyeom - the shaggy headed and sweaty one over there needs a translator. Is yours charges?" she responded.

"It's at the clinic. Follow me. I can get it for you."

Ren looked at them then followed him. It wasn't very so they just followed the two. They didn't really have a choice.

But the clinic was a little more upscale than everyone else's houses. It was obviously the medical clinic for this village. It didn't have electricity running to it from a power box but there was generator sitting outside that functioned for electricity.

Once again Ren opened her pack and pulled out supplies. Feminine products were the main things that filled the table, but there were other medical items that covered table.

"I know you store your gasoline in the shed out back, but here's a gas card just in case of emergencies. And I paid to have enough food for a month shipped. They'll be here in a few days to a well," she said.

"How much you spend?" the man asked.

"Don't worry about it," she said.

"Ren."

"It's the least I can do." She ignored him as she handed Yugyeom an ear piece and programmed the little box attached to it. "Can you understand me?" He nodded. "I'm going to wear one while you're here so we can talk freely. If the battery dies, there are extras over here." She pointed to a drawer. "Just plug it up where you pull the new battery."

"Who is this?" Mark finally asked. It was the question on everyone's minds.

"This is James Chen. He's the physician in charge of this village."

Yugyeom was the only one who knew what that name meant. He remembered the name that was written on the back of the photo he had seen. He knew instantly why they were here. But he didn't know the outcome or what Ren was going to do. In that she was unpredictable.

"Are you hungry?" James asked after they had put away the supplies Ren had brought.

She laughed as a chorus of 'yes' sounded behind her. "I guess that's a definite yes."

The older man laughed. "Come on. My house is behind the clinic."

Yugyeom caught Ren's arm before she followed the four men from the clinic. He knew she knew where the house was so he wasn't too concerned about getting lost. He had to know what they were doing there before he could in good conscience go on.

"You're not going to use him against your sister are you?" he asked.

"I'm not going o use him or my nephew but he needs to love. He still loves her, never really stopped even though she left him. If anyone can talk some sense into her, it's him. He can yank her son away from her if he sees fit," she replied. She looked into his closed face. "I'm not a monster, Yugyeom."

"I never said you were, but dragging an innocent child into this is just wrong. I didn't want that to happen."

"I won't hurt my nephew."

Yugyeom believed her so he had no qualms following her to the house. Once he stepped inside, he appreciated growing up in a bigger city. The house was tiny with a small hearth and a space for them to sleep. There was a table and two chairs, one with a booster seat, and a chest that held clothes obviously. Off to the side there was a small wardrobe that was closed and locked.

Jackson, Mark and BamBam were sitting on a carpet with a curly headed little boy and a woman who was clearly his nanny. He was a happy child as he clacked his wooden blocks in front of him. James was making something over the fire that was clearly only used to make meals since it was so warm outside.

Ren immediately went over to the little boy and scooped him up. He laughed happily and grabbed at her hair before shoving it in his mouth. He spat it out with a funny little face then rested his head on her shoulder. It was obvious she was up here enough to have formed a tight bond with the child. James stepped up behind her and looked at the boy. They looked like an actual family with a mother, father and child, but Yugyeom was the only one who knew the truth.

"He loves you very much. You must look like his mother," Jackson said offhandedly.

"She should," James answered as he took the boy from Ren.

Mark frowned. "What do you mean?"

James looked at Ren. "You didn't tell them?"

"No, but that's another reason why we're here. She's up to it again," Ren answered.

"What do you mean? She's targeted someone? Again? Who is it this time?"

The woman sighed as she sat down on the rug by Mark. "This time it's me. I have no idea what I did this time, but she came and interrupted my job. She tried to start a rumor that I was dating someone but it was squashed before it got too big."

James rubbed the little man's back as he listened. "You didn't tell anything about her personal life did you?"

Ren shook her head. "No, I'm not that petty. Did I want to? Yes, I did, but I would be just like her if I did that. All my life I've lived under her shadow even though I'm six minutes older. She has to try to do everything better, she has to have everything, but the things she does have she doesn't want. I don't understand her way of thinking."

"Wait a minute. Before this goes on anymore, what is going on? Why did we hike six hours through the mountains to meet a man?" Jackson demanded.

"James is the father of Nolan. Nolan just happens to be Renley's son."

Three of the four faces were full of shock. Mark, BamBam and Jackson didn't know what to say. They looked between Ren and the little family in front of them. None of it made sense. Yugyeom on the other hand was a mixture of sadness and relief.

"Why aren't you surprised?" BamBam asked him a few minutes later.

"I've known about this for a bit. She has a photo of them at home," the youngest answered.

"Why did he know?" Jackson demanded. "Why not us? Aren't we your friends?"

"Yes, but that's not the point of the reason I kept it from you. The only reason Yugyeom knew was because he was there the night I pulled the pictures out. Other than that I wouldn't have told anyone," Ren said.

"Why wouldn't you have told us?" Mark asked.

"I asked Ren not to tell anyone about us. Renley and I met when she was fifteen and I was twenty-one and dated all through her trainee days and through her debut. At twenty-three, I withdrew from the spotlight to go to medical school. She wanted to continue acting and I wasn't going to stop her. I guess that was my fault because she had all these scandals that I brushed off like they were nothing. When she got pregnant nearly four years ago, I thought she would eventually settle down. For a few months she was fine, but when she got back into shape she was ready to go back to work. She couldn't handle a family so she left. I moved here with Nolan when he was six months and we've lived here ever since," James explained.

He continued as he laid his sleeping son on his belly on the carpet. "I was the one who told Ren about Renley and Nolan. I knew their father wouldn't approve of her being unmarried but I thought she needed someone to lean on. Ren was there through it all. She was there for hospital visits and even the birth, and when Renley left she was even there to help me take care of Nolan while I set up the clinic. She took time off her acting career to do this."

"It's amazing you didn't fall in love with her," BamBam said.

"It's hard to see Ren when all I see is Renley when I look at her."

Yugyeom slanted his gaze sideways. The words had a huge impact on the twin. Even now she was being compared to her sister without having to say so much about her. She was very quiet about it as she sat next to James. The only way he knew she was upset about the statement was the look in her eyes.

"Then you should know," he said without even thinking, "that Ren is taken no matter what you do. Even if you like her, you can't have her."

BamBam's mouth dropped open as Mark laughed and Jackson translated. Ren stared at him for the longest until James understood. He looked her long enough to draw her gaze to him.

"Is this why your sister is trying to get you in trouble with the press?" he asked.

"Probably. Or she's probably mad that I'm in a drama with two good looking guys and she can't help but act out," Ren said. "I don't try to pretend to know what she's thinking. But you know her well enough to know what she thinks. Can you help me?"

James sighed. "Last time I talked to her I told her that if she started anything with anyone she loves, I wasn't going to let her see Nolan again. Why would she harm you?"

"Have you forgotten that we don't get along? We haven't since we started training. I don't know why, but I know I couldn't throw you under the bus while getting back at my sister."

The man nodded. "You're not mean, Ren. Don't stoop to her level. Give me a few minutes and I'll finish your dinner. I hope you don't mind sleeping outside in the pavilion under a mosquito tent."

"I've done it before. I should be used to it."

"You haven't brought four other people with you before."

Ren nodded then patted Mark on the knee. "Follow me. I need help with the pillows and mosquito net. Jackson, go help James make dinner. You two watch the baby."

With everyone given stations, they all separated to do their various jobs.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: it has taken me a while to get these two chapters up because I have been sick again and I didn't really want to type. I just had to type it out but I didn't want to. It's been a crazy month but I'm still trucking.

I've given up most of my caffeine intake so I've been experiencing some bad migraines. They've been so bad that I haven't wanted to look at a screen. It also makes it hard to work on a computer. But I have been writing it out so I haven't missed writing.

Also I'm thinking of going back and writing a third story to the Baye series. This time it will definitely be Leo's turn to find love. I already know how I want to do it as well so it will be interesting. Let me know what you think about it in the comment section.

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It was very peaceful outside even though it was hot. The five of them were spread out on a raised dais under the pavilion. Mark and Jackson had put up the mosquito net around the four columns so they would be somewhat protected.

They had even eaten their lunch with James, but they'd eaten dinner with the villagers. They had partied well into the wee hours of the morning. The four guys had stayed around the fire while Ren had danced around with the kids. She knew the dances they had passed down or had created.

She had become so animated as she had interacted with the children. Here in this village she wasn't Renley Wu's older twin. She was Ren Wu, the woman who brought food and gifts for everyone. She was the sweet and gentle woman who took the time to be with anyone in the village.

The tempo of the drums had changed to something more upbeat and lively. The children had paired off boy-girl and those who didn't have a partner had picked from the adults. One little girl had chosen James. Ren had pulled Mark from the group and had showed him how to do the dance. By the second round he had memorized the steps and had moved on to another partner.

The guys had each taken turns being Ren's partner. She had been easy going and patient as she had taught them the steps, which had been fairly simple. They all had had fun even after they had learned the real reason they had trekked all the way through the mountains.

By the time the party had been over, everyone had been exhausted and sweaty. The fire had been put out and everyone had dispersed. The five had gone to make their beds. The guys had put Ren in the middle out of protective habit. Usually it was Yugyeom and BamBam who were in the middle because they were the youngest, but Ren was female so male instinct took over and she went into the middle.

They had all settled down and had instantly fallen asleep. They had light weight blankets but it was still too warm to cover up. Sleeping so close together was hard as well because their body heat mingled.

Yugyeom woke up in the middle of the night hotter than he had been in a while. He could feel the sweat making his shirt cling to his back. He pulled at it to release it but it did no good. It continued to cling to his skin.

Somewhere in the middle of fighting with his shirt, he realized one of his arms was numb. He looked over and nearly choked. Ren was sleeping so close to him that she was sleeping on his arm. Joy swelled in him that he rolled over and pulled her close to him. It made him even hotter but he didn't care.

The rest of the night passed without any of them waking. When it was finally too hot to sleep, they slowly woke up. Jackson was the first one awake. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. A slow smile spread across his face before he got up and started breakfast.

Slowly everyone woke up, and as they did, slow sleepy smiles spread across their faces. Even James smiled when he came from his house. But it was Ren's reaction that was the best.

She was the second to last to wake up. She rubbed her face as she sat up then looked down and over. She stared at Yugyeom for the longest before she vaulted over the maknae. She skirted everyone on her way to the clinic.

"That's a little surprising," James said as he watched Nolan toddle around the fire but not touch it. "Ren doesn't usually sleep with people."

"Why not?" Jackson asked.

James shrugged. "She's never been the touchy-feely type. I can count on one hand those I've seen her hug and I know the only person she's ever slept with platonically."

Mark flipped the fish on the spit. "Who was it?"

"It was me."

BamBam sputtered water. "What? You slept with twins?"

"You missed the word platonic, BamBam. Before Nolan was born and I came to work here, I traveled with Ren as her personal physician. We weren't fortunate to have a two room house so we shared a room. Ren never liked me; she always thought of me as a brother and it's not like I liked her that way."

Jackson slammed his cup down. "Do you not know how not to compare Ren to Renley? They're two completely different people. Ren isn't as vicious."

James looked at the younger man with a cold glint in his eyes. "I know that. I'm one of the few who do but Ren doesn't talk if she doesn't know you. She comes off as cold when she's really not. She's the gentler twin but she sets herself up to be a doormat."

"That's because you don't expect anything differently," Mark defended. The three who were awake were getting defensive quickly.

"Ren is gentle, but she's also hard when she needs to be. Her heart is fragile because you, her family, have expected her to stand down in favor of Renley. Ren never said anything to us about you until we got here because she didn't want our views of you to be colored, but hearing you talked we're not sure you see her as more than someone you know," Jackson said.

The men stared at each other for a long moment over the fire. Nolan bounced between the four of them, not caring that it was a tense moment.

"Noona."

They all turned to see her standing by the low tree. Her long hair was wet and hanging loosely down her back. She looked normal on the outside but her eyes were stormy. Without a word, she strode past them into the forest of the mountains. Jackson started to get up but James shook his head.

"She knows those trails. She won't get lost," he said.

"How can you be so heartless?" BamBam asked. "She has protected both you and your son. She didn't have to. She could have abandoned you, but she didn't."

James watched the three men closely as they descended into silence. Mark up Yugyeom and they spoke in Korean most of the morning. Even when he asked them questions, they barely answered. They were really angry at him.

Several hours later, Ren returned sunburnt and sweaty. Her hair had curled from the humidity and was sticking to her face. She seemed even more withdrawn than she usually was.

Yugyeom walked up to her first. She listened to him as he spoke, a peculiar thing since she was irritated. But Yugyeom was gentle in the way he spoke to her. She scratched her neck as she listened to him.

He held his hand out to her and waited patiently until she took it. He closed his fingers around hers and allowed her to lead him down a separate path than the one she had just returned.

"That's unusual," James muttered.

"Ren has leaned on Yugyeom so much more than us even though they don't speak the same language. Coming here has been the only time they have been able to understand each other when they spoke, but love doesn't have a language," Mark said.

"You think they're in love?"

"Yugyeom is, but it's hard to tell with Ren. She doesn't say much," Jackson added as he cleaned pots in hot, soapy water.

"Ren doesn't really say how she feels. She never has, even when she felt comfortable to do so."

BamBam gave him a droll stare. "And you wonder why?"

James suddenly realized he was not liked at this moment. He had never had someone not like him before. Usually they all got along pretty well, but this group wasn't having it. They were too well-versed in Ren that they paid him no attention. Anything he said wasn't considered.

He hadn't had that happen before. Usually whenever any guy who liked Ren tried to talk to him about her, he was able to talk so much about her it made the other guy feel inferior. But this group had one-upped him. They knew more about her than he did. It probably was because they could barely communicate. That left only the other senses to figure out what the other person was feeling.

They heard twigs snapping and Yugyeom's voice. The youngest member returned carting Ren on his back. He was speaking consistently. Ren had her head pressed against his cheek as she held on while he walked.

Yugyeom loosened his hands and Ren slid back to the group. At that moment it was easy to tell the height difference between the two. Ren was at least a good five or six inches shorter than him, but there was a good chance she could kick his butt.

Ren tried to walk away but Yugyeom gently grabbed her hand. James had watched one guy walk away with a broken wrist because he had done that. But Yugyeom had tact. He caught her with his fingertips in the elbow and slid them down her arm until he shackled her wrist. He left her enough room to break free if she wanted.

She looked down then up at him. Yugyeom smiled then said something. She tilted her head as the translator told her what he had said. Her mouth opened slightly as she stared at him. His smile was gentle as he watched her.

Time seemed to stand still. Yugyeom pulled the hand that was connected to Ren back at the same time her reached for her face. Shocked and pulled off balance, she had no choice but to go forward. Skillfully, he wrapped her arm around his waist and pressed his free hand to her back.

Ren never fought him, and that was a clear indication to him. Yugyeom dropped his head and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He said something to her as he pressed their heads together. The device in her ear sparked blue as it translated.

James could feel the emotions rolling off the two of them. They were in their own little world so they didn't see the others. Looking around, he noticed that Yugyeom's friends were all smiling. They had been waiting on this. They had seen the relationship progress over the months Ren had been in South Korea. But how was it going to end?

"And that is how you tell a woman you love her," Jackson said. "I'm impressed. Maybe you could learn a few tricks from a nineteen-year-old who has never before opened up about his emotions."

James shook his head. "Renley is going to cause mayhem with this, and if Ren likes Yugyeom, she won't hold back. She will cause hell for Renley. When they fight, they fight hard."

"Will she throw you under the bus?" Mark asked.

"No, but police records are public documents. Anyone can find out that emergency services were called at our residence the night Nolan was born. Ren won't say our names but I can't guarantee she won't lead the press in that direction. I would."

"So what are you going to do?" BamBam asked.

The older man sighed. "What I should have done a long time ago. I'm going to give Renley an ultimatum; me and Nolan or her career. She can't have both. If she chooses us, we have a place for her."

"What if she chooses her career?" Jackson questioned.

"Then she loses all rights to her son."

It was a harsh choice but it was something that needed to happen. Ren was putting up with a lot from Renley, but it was going to stop. Yugyeom's privacy was at stake. She could seriously harm the young man if she did anything too crazy. That was going to fire up the entire entertainment industry since the young man was so charismatic and popular.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: These are the only two chapters for the night. It took two hours to write them. That's probably because I had already had them written in my little notebook so all I had to do was type them up.

Before I stop this rambling, go check out Jayjayzek's new chapter on her story. If you ask me to read a story and I really like it, I am going to promote the fire out of it. And if you become my fanfiction penpal, I'm going to help you the best I can. So read the new chapter and get the stats for Jayjayzek!

See ya'll later!

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The tires squealed on the runway as the leer jet touched down on the asphalt. The party was returning from Taiwan with two extra people in tow.

After an afternoon of trekking back to civilization, Ren had called Woo Bin on the bus ride to Taipei. They had a couple of hours to kill until his private jet would arrive. That had been dangerous because all six adults were or had been very active in China. Ren couldn't walk down the street without being recognized.

They had somehow managed to hide in a café for two hours. Nolan had slept in Ren's arms the entire time. She had looked at home with the boy in her lap. She hadn't looked like an aunt. She had looked like the child's mother with how easy caring for him came to her.

It had only been when they had been ready to catch their flight had anyone noticed them. They had signed autographs and had fielded as many questions as they could. Luckily James had scurried out the door with Nolan tucked under a blanket.

They had boarded the jet and everyone had been asleep before takeoff. The air had been much cooler than on the island so they had reveled in the non-sticky feeling. Jackson had woken up somewhere in the middle and had looked over. Ren had been curled up in her seat with a blanket over bare legs. Nolan had climbed in her lap and cuddled with her, his little forehead pressed against her cheek. Both of them had been sidled up to Yugyeom. The adults looked like parents to the child.

Woo Bin had given them access to Shinhwa Group's private runway. They had disembarked and stretched to get blood flow back to normal. A car was waiting on them and they had all filed in without a word.

James walked into Ren's house and looked around. He hadn't been in a place like this in a long time. The last time he had had been just after Nolan had been born. He had been a resident at the local hospital in a small town in Taiwan. His apartment had been small but comfortable. Every now and then he missed it, but he wouldn't change the way he raised Nolan at the moment.

Ren walked through the house and flipped on the nearest bedroom light. "Yixuan is going to back to China for his sister's wedding. He said you and Nolan could use his room."

"Do they treat you well?" James asked as he placed a sleeping Nolan on the couch.

"They do. I just have too much freedom sometimes." She hit a button on her computer. "I have three voicemails since I came back. Don't they know that I don't want to talk to them? I'm really tired."

"You're really cranky. Is it that time?"

Ren looked at him, loathing in her eyes. "Are you asking as a man or a doctor?"

"You always get really cranky around that time."

"My birth control only allows me to have four a year since I'm on hormone therapy. My doctor is afraid to change it since I had surgery three years ago."

"Would you have to adjust everything if you wanted to have kids?" She nodded sleepily as she sat down in the chair and messed with the blanket. "What exactly happened? I know you came to stay with me after surgery but you never said why."

"My appendix ruptured and the infection was so bad it spread to my kidneys, liver and right ovary. It was removed and the infection to my liver and kidneys was cleared, but I had ovarian cysts as well. Luckily they caught it, but my right ovary had to be taken out."

"Hence the hormones?"

She shook her head. "I've always had a hormone imbalance. It started when I hit puberty. It's also why I'm not very emotional. I don't feel jealousy or anything like that. Sadness, love, and anger are the dominant ones. The others I don't really care about."

James watched the woman as she fell asleep. It was understandable since she was always working. He wondered how long it took her to do everything else she needed to do. He looked around the living room to see how clean it was, making him realize she was able to do everything.

He wanted to help so he went through her bags and pulled out her dirty laundry. He took it to the kitchen and measure out laundry detergent before adding the clothing to the machine as it filled with soapy water.

He was checking on the sleeping duo when the front door dinged. Not too much later Yugyeom walked in with a couple of bags of food. The younger looked up but didn't stop on his way to the kitchen. He was still wearing the translator James had given to him and Ren before they had left the village.

He easily changed to Korean. "What are you doing?"

Yugyeom didn't look up. "Noona likes tteokbokki and fried rice. I couldn't sleep so I bought what she liked." He unpacked his food and looked up. A tender smile curved his lips. "How long has she been asleep?"

"Half an hour. Why are you here?"

That ruffled Yugyeom's feathers just a bit. "I could ask you the same thing. Noona has it rough right now. She's filming an action series trying to field relationship questions that her sister has brought on. If you're here to make things worse, none of us will forgive you."

"I'm here to make things better. I'm here to take Renley home or take something away. I don't want to cause Ren any more trouble. She's always been good to me and my son. I owe her more than I've ever repaid."

"Then why do you say things when you know they hurt her?"

James probably looked like a fish as his mouth worked but no sound came out. Slowly he looked at Ren. She looked peaceful. There wasn't an ounce of distress on her flawless features, but as he looked closely he saw worry line by and between her eyes. This had really wound her up and she didn't have a defense mechanism here. Her family was back in Macau and the one person she did know fairly well wasn't always around. She was doing everything alone.

"Even if you stay with her," he said as he finally gave in to the fact that Ren wasn't going to listen to him anymore, "there's no guarantee she'll want to be with you."

"I know that but Noona doesn't have anyone she trusts with her feelings. My hyungs are used to being nosy with her since they work with her, but I have to tread gently. Even if she doesn't want to be around me after her work is finished, I'll still listen to her," Yugyeom answered.

James suddenly realized he and Yugyeom were a lot alike. They would protect the woman they loved whether or not she loved him in return. Yugyeom was young but that didn't mean he didn't understand the concept of love. If anything he mirrored James in the way he loved. His love was of the purest form.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Ren knew she couldn't smell while sleeping but she smelled tteokbokki spices. Slightly annoyed at being woken up, she opened her eyes and looked at her phone. It was only four in the afternoon. She had slept a total of an hour.

Cranky and lethargic, she tossed the blanket over the back of the chair and got up. Without even really thinking about it, she crossed the living room without hitting anything.

With blurry vision, she walked up to the first person she made out and pressed her forehead to the back. She heard a laugh so familiar it sent chills down her spine. She looked up to see Yugyeom smiling over his shoulder.

He surprised her by turning around and kissing her forehead before turning back around. Ren stood still for a few minutes then moved to the cabinet for a glass. Yugyeom had everything set on the table when she returned. She waved at James and sat down beside him.

"I bought tteokbokki and fried rice. You may still be jetlagged," he said. "Eat as much as you're comfortable with."

Ren stared at the spicy rice cakes and fried rice. Her stomach grumbled but she didn't necessarily want to eat. She looked between the food and the two men sitting with her as they started eating. She reached across the table and took Yugyeom's free hand. He looked up immediately.

"You're not going to eat?" he asked.

The little white ear bud pulsed blue as the machine did its job. She shook her head. "I'm hungry but I'm not hungry."

"Try eating the rice," James said as he pushed her bowl closer to her.

She stared down at it with disdain. She really didn't want it. She loved Yugyeom's food even if he didn't necessarily make it, but at this moment she didn't want it.

Yugyeom watched the look of conflict flash across her face. He laced his fingers with hers and tugged on her hand to get her attention. He held her eyes when she looked at him. "If you're not hungry, don't eat. I can always put this in the fridge and you can rewarm it when you want it. I just thought you may like something nice when you woke up."

"Thank you."

He smiled the kissed her hand. "Go lay down. I'll clean this up when we're done."

He watched her as she picked up her glass and left them at the table. "Something is wrong isn't it?"

James shrugged. "She always has really bad jetlag when she travels. Though she seems it, her body really isn't that strong. Make sure if she ever gets sick that she goes immediately to the hospital. She can get dehydrated very easily."

"We've already experienced that, but thanks for the heads up. Anything we can get is helpful since she keeps to herself most of the time."

They finished eating and cleaned up as quickly as they could. James rummaged through his bags and realized he had forgotten to pack pullups for Nolan. Yugyeom wrote down the pass code to the house and promised to watch after the boy as his father went to the store.

After the man had left, Yugyeom picked up the child and carried him into Ren's room. The room was dark except for a small nightlight on the far wall. Ren was on her side sleeping with one hand tucked under her head. Yugyeom placed Nolan in the middle before he knocked his shoes off and lay on the other side of the bed.

Ren seemed to know Nolan was there because she pulled him against her. Yugyeom smiled as the child buried his face in her shoulder as he settled again. He ran his fingers across her cheek and over her ear, tracing the shell with his fingertips as he did so. She inhaled sleepily then opened her eyes. She didn't smile but by the ease at which she looked at him, he knew she was happy.

"The kitchen is clean and James has gone to the store," he whispered. She nodded and blinked slowly. She wanted to go back to sleep but because he was still there she tried to stay awake. "The tteokbokki and rice have been put in the glass containers in the fridge. You're low on kimchi so you may want to buy some more, or I can give you what my mom gave me and Young Jae."

"Thank you," she said.

He smiled again and ran his finger over her cheek bone. "Sleep."

He started to get up but she grabbed his hand. For the first time since he had known her, he saw a very raw and open look on her face. She placed his hand back on her face. He tilted his head as he asked her what she wanted.

"Stay," she said.

Yugyeom didn't know what was more exciting. The fact that she had asked him to stay or that she was showing him how vulnerable she actually was. He was used to the tough as nails woman, but this one who didn't want him to leave was completely new. He was happy that she was showing him this. He still didn't know if she wanted him for the long run, but he was happy to give her the best of him.

He lay back down and watched her. She watched him as well until it was too hard for her to keep her eyes open. Before she settled back, she tugged on his arm until he moved. When he did, she pushed Nolan closer so she could rest her head against Yugyeom's arm. As soon as she was comfortable, she went to sleep instantly. Yugyeom felt like he was part of this family as he lay quietly with the woman and child.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: This is the second to last chapter. The last chapter will be up by tomorrow hopefully. But I won't start the new story until I finish a couple of projects that I am working on. I have two birthday presents and a simple present to make. It won't take me very long so I will write the new story while I am working on the new things. Who knows. You may get two chapters out of the whole thing.

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Yugyeom sat in the salon and waited impatiently. Over the few weeks everything had changed. James and Ren had planned out when he would talk to Renley. Ren had finished filming her drama and was getting ready for her premiere. She and Jackson had spent time planning what they would wear considering they were going to be each other's date.

Or so they had told the press, but in reality she was going with Yugyeom. They had finally decided to see what it would be like if they dated. Jackson had started teaching Yugyeom Mandarin, which the young man had picked up on almost as fast as he had Japanese. He could converse easier but he still had a long way to go. They were going to announce their relationship to the press at the premiere.

Yugyeom wasn't as nervous about telling the press about his relationship as he was about what was going to happen with Renley. She hadn't poked her head into anyone's business since they had returned from Taiwan since she was away in Japan. She was going to have a hard time when she finds out her son and the father were in Korea. Things were going to get nasty. He needed to have Ren's back in everything.

He was looking down at his shoes when a pair of boots he recognized came in his view. He looked up and his mouth dropped. Ren had cut her hair off until it was barely touching her shoulders and she had dyed it dark red. It was curled gently around her face to accentuate her rounded cheeks. It was at that moment that she was the most beautiful in his eyes.

He never understood what hormone imbalance was but he knew one person who didn't let it get her down. Ren fought every day to make sure she wasn't beaten. He couldn't always tell what she was feeling, but right at that moment the love he felt for her was strong.

He stood and reached for her hip. He hadn't kissed her like he wanted to but it didn't matter. He pressed his lips to her forehead, smiling as he heard the stylists croon in unison. He took her hand and with a bow to the ladies he led her from the salon.

Ren sat in the car and watched the people on the sidewalks as Yugyeom absently traced his finger on the back of her hand. She wondered how many of them were aware that she and Yugyeom were in the car. She wasn't going to be dumb and roll the window down but she couldn't help but think about it.

She was only in Korea for a couple of more days before she was set to head back to Macau for a brief rest before heading to Hollywood to work with Lee Byung Hun. Coming out with her relationship was going to be tough. She was going to be three thousand miles away. How can a relationship work at that distance? Now that they were getting ready to help James with Renley, it was about to get really nasty. She couldn't ask Yugyeom to stand in with that.

He had come full circle. He had been the first to say what he felt. He had been the first to break the mold her family had created. How could she ask him to deal with all of that?

Yugyeom saw the torment in her eyes but didn't say anything. He knew exactly what was on her mind. Her kind heart was tortured. She didn't want to put him through any discomfort. She didn't want to drag him through everything she had gone through.

He didn't know how to tell her that he wanted to be in this for the long haul. He didn't want to play the dating game that some people did. He believed in true love. He believed in having one person. Ren was his one person. He wasn't going to be interested in anyone else.

His phone rang, Woo Bin's name blazing white on the screen. The second he swiped his screen his cousin spoke.

"Don't say my name. Just listen. Renley is back in town. She's going to the premiere tonight. She's going to cause a scene. I've already spoken to James. This is the way it's going to be. Ren is going to get hurt. You are going to hear things Ren hasn't told you. You have four hours to decide what your stance is. If you decide to stand by her, you will be alone. She is going to leave as soon as the premiere is over. I only tell you all of this to prepare you. Make a wise decision, Yugyeom."

Woo Bin hung up immediately. All of F4 was already mobilizing in defense of one person. Stranger things had happened but Yugyeom hadn't seen it. The last time it had happened he had been young.

He looked at Ren, tugging on her hand to get her attention. "Is there anything you haven't told me?" he asked when she looked at him. "Anything in your past that you are keeping secret?"

He saw a light spark in her eyes before it disappeared. There was something. He wasn't supposed to say anything to her but he didn't think it was fair. She had a right to know.

"I nearly died when I was twelve. A few trainees at the company were jealous of Renley because she could twitch one way and the boys would follow her. She spoke to one guy too much and his lover got mad. She got some of her friends to jump Renley. Except it wasn't Renley. It was me. They bashed my head in with a steel pipe." She moved her bangs back to reveal a scar. "I flatlined on the way to the hospital. She never took responsibility. Instead she blamed it on me."

"Then why did you protect her?"

"Nolan and James. James was always good to me when we traveled together. When Nolan was born everything changed. Renley didn't want to have anything to do with the child that nearly ruined her career. She almost gave him up for adoption but James was strong. He took that child and raised him alone. No matter what he said about me or how he looked at me, I will always protect James and Nolan whether my sister does or not."

Yugyeom didn't like Renley anymore. He had tried to figure out a way to get along with her but this last story was it. She didn't want to get along with her sister. She was selfish and immature, leaving Ren to take care of her family.

"Ren," he said. She looked at him. "Don't keep anymore of her secrets. She's living her life while you stress over her decisions. It's your turn to live."

His breath was pulled from his lungs as he watched tears well up in the woman's eyes. He closed his hand over hers and kissed her knuckles. This was the first time anyone had told her to live.

They separated on the elevator, Yugyeom getting off on the seventh floor. He waved as the doors closed. Ren went upstairs to find James and Nolan playing in the floor. James was such a good father, much better than any she had ever seen. She walked across the room and gave him the biggest back hug she had ever given anyone.

James turned and saw an unfamiliar red head but the physique was familiar. Something had happened to Ren for her to hug him as tightly as she was. In his memory, she had never hugged him. He didn't know what had happened but it had been something.

She didn't say anything as she released him and went to her room. He watched the door close quietly behind her. He silently wished her sister hadn't done so much to hurt Ren. She would have been a good person to get to know. He should have fallen for her instead of Renley, but it was too late for that now.

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That night it was a star studded event. Usually premieres for television shows wasn't a huge thing, but Shinhwa Group and Song Construction were holding a benefit to fund their schools and hospitals in Africa. It was by invitation only to stars but the general public was allowed three hundred seats for the screening. All of Jackson and Mark's roommates were invited as well as Ren's family.

Yugyeom stood with Jackson and Mark as they waited for Ren to show up. She was coming with Yi Jeong since the members of F4 were in charge of this. The real story was none of them wanted the guys to see the woman all dressed up. Since they'd known her, Ren had only worn comfortable clothing. She had never dressed up, even for table reads.

The guys watched as Ren's parents walked down the red carpet with Yoon Ji Hoo who translated for them when they were asked questions. They could tell where Ren got her looks from. She was the spitting image of her mother.

A familiar orange Lotus pulled up to the curb. Jackson broke off from the group and went to play the role of the doting date. Yi Jeong opened the door and helped Ren from the car. The six guys that were standing on the red carpet let their mouths fall. Dressed in a long green Grecian style gown, Ren looked elegant and sophisticated. Her red hair was pinned back from her face and her makeup was flawless.

Jackson took her arm and led her to them as flashbulbs went off all around them. He leaned down and gave her a warning before he passed her off to Yugyeom. Her smile was gentle as he took her hand and pulled her to him, but he wasn't done.

Once she was in his bubble, Yugyeom bent his head and captured her mouth. He felt her inhale and it only made his mouth lock onto hers better. As the press had a field day, he lifted his head and smiled into her eyes.

Questions started pouring in instantly. With tact and grace, he sifted through them while keeping a gentle grip on her hand. Ren answered the questions that were in Mandarin all the while keeping an eye on her parents.

Just as they were heading in, they heard Renley's name. They turned as a group to watch Ren's twin walk down the red carpet. Ren took a deep breath and tried to pull away. Yugyeom held her hand tightly, refusing to let her go with a hard look in his eyes.

"Is it true that you two are twins?" one reporter asked.

Renley smiled charmingly. "Yes, Ren is older by six minutes. Couldn't you tell that we were?"

"How is your relationship? Do you get along?" another asked.

"Of course we do. We are so close sometimes it feels like we share one mind. In fact we sometimes share boyfriends." She laughed as the men and women write furiously. "I should have told you the last time we met that we both are dating Song Yugyeom."

So this was how she was going to play. Yugyeom glanced down at Ren to see her face closed off. Her eyes were hard as she looked at her sister. She had worn the translator so she could hear the lies her sister spouted.

Renley walked over to them and linked her arm through Yugyeom's free one. "Yugyeom-ah, why don't we go in?"

Yugyeom yanked his arm free and turned so it was away from her reach. "Excuse me but I don't think I know you. You look like Ren but your personality is kind of crappy. Have you guys seen her before?"

The six of them shook their heads. "Nope," Jackson said. "Last I checked you didn't hang out with people who tore down others."

Renley looked at Ren. Her older twin's gaze wasn't the same as it used to be when she caused trouble. This time Ren had something she actually wanted to hold on to. She wasn't going to back down.

Ren pulled her hand free from Yugyeom's and walked to her sister. There was going to be bad press after this but she was done. She couldn't continue these war games with someone she had shared a womb with.

"I'm tired, Renley. I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of looking over my shoulder. I'm tired of covering for you. It's time you take some responsibility for everything you've done. You have a family who loves you," she said.

Renley laughed. "What are you talking about?"

"Mama!"

The color in Renley's face pales instantly. She turned around, her red dress flaring out with the motion. James came down the red carpet with Nolan on his hip and Woo Bin at his side. Yugyeom stepped up to offer strength to Ren. She all but collapsed into his side. Mark slid up behind her to offer extra support.

"Hello, Renley," James said when he was within ear shot. "It's been a long time."

Renley tried to cover her shock but her laugh came out nervous. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you've been giving Ren a hard time. Why? Do you know what she's done for me? She's kept supplies flowing into the village to make sure the villagers are healthy and well-fed. She takes care of Nolan in your stead."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Cut the crap, Renley! Ever since you booked your first shoot, you've been nearly impossible. The only time you were ever your normal self was when you were carrying Nolan."

Renley's mouth worked. "I've never had a child."

James looked at Ren. She gave him a sympathetic look. He understood what she had said. He nodded and looked back at the other woman. "I understand. Your career is more important than your child. That's all right. You won't ever have to look on his face again."

He strode past Renley straight to her parents. He bowed respectfully and looked at them. "I'm sorry I had to do it this way. My name is James Chen and I am the father of your grandchild. This is Nolan, your grandson."

Their father looked at the young boy, and looked directly into his face as a child. He looked at Renley as his face turned red. "Renley Evangeline Wu, you have some explaining to do. Renner Elaine, you too."

James jumped to her defense instantly. "None of this is Ren's fault. If anything, she protected Nolan more than I ever did."

Ren looked at her father. In that moment he realized she was more of an adult than he had given her credit for. He strode forward and took her face in his hands. Without a word, he kissed her forehead. She turned her cheek into his hand.

"Baba," she choked out.

"You have a kind and gentle heart, my girl, much like your mother." He turned to Yugyeom. "Take care of her."

Though Yugyeom didn't understand the words, the tone spoke on the same level. He bowed to the man and squeezed Ren's hand. Ren's father turned and led James away. Renley followed at a sedated pace. Her reign as China's number one model had come to an end.

Ren turned to Yugyeom. "Take me inside. I need to sit down."

Yugyeom did as she asked. He didn't have a choice. These were the last few moments he was going to have with her because as soon as this was over she was leaving.


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note: So the day I wrote this chapter it was Super Bowl Sunday. My Broncos are taking on the Carolina Panthers. I'm kind of in crazy mode. I want my Broncos to win because I want the quarterback to retire with a win. If he doesn't, he had an amazing season but I want the win.

Again I won't be writing for a while until I figure out what I want Leo to do in the new story. I know where the setting will be but I don't know the name of the girl or what she will do with him. Usually all my female characters are strong but have some sort of disability. So I have to really think it through. If you have suggestions, hit me up. I will consider every one of them.

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Yugyeom stared out the window of the plane as it made its descent to the runway. Eight months, four days, twelve hours and four minutes. That how long he had gone without seeing Ren. He had talked to her but seeing her was a completely different thing. She had been busy with films such as the one she had left to film with Lee Byung Hun. She played his daughter in the film and they had to speak English. Yugyeom had seen it when it had hit theatres and her acting had been amazing.

When she had left Seoul, they hadn't made any promises to see each other again, but they had promised to stay in contact. They had tried hard to keep their relationship alive, but it was hard with long distances. She had called when she had been able to and they had talked for hours whether Yugyeom had a schedule or not. He made time for her.

Ren's father had returned to Seoul to talk with Yugyeom. He had apologized for making it seem like he didn't like his daughter. He had asked how Yugyeom had felt about Ren and what he planned to do now that she was working three thousand miles away. He hadn't been sure but he knew that he was going to do all he could to make sure they stayed together. Her father had smiled and had simply wished him luck. It hadn't been the best feeling in the world but Yugyeom knew he at least had a shot.

Woo Bin seemed to have more information than anyone did. He was still technically in charge of Ren's overseas adventures. He employed Luhan to be her main manager. It wasn't that he didn't like Tao and Yixuan, but both men were married with families. Luhan was single and could speak English, Korean, Chinese and a few other languages. He was versatile to better help the woman. Since she had been in his car, her career had skyrocketed further.

Renley and James had had a long road to go. After the whole thing that had gone down at the premiere, she had returned to Taiwan to hide. It turned out that as soon as she was away from the public eye, she turned maternal. She spent more time with Nolan than she had since he had been born. She and James had reconciled and were well on their way to marriage. It was about time, but she still had been put on an allowance by her dad.

Since she had been gone, Yugyeom and the others had kept up with her status. They read and watched every interview she gave, and every interview asked if she was still dating Yugyeom. They were already public but Ren very nicely asked if the press would leave her relationship alone. She wasn't talking about it not because they had issues, but because it was their relationship, not the world's. So far everyone seemed to respect that, even the fans.

Everything seemed to be going well for both of them. Yugyeom had landed a couple of series, but he missed her. They had spent three months together as she had filmed, but now they were apart.

"Hey." He looked up to see his brother looking over the seat in front of him. "We're about to get off. Woo Bin and Yi Jeong said they would pick us up at the runway."

Yugyeom nodded and looked across the aisle. Mark was waking up Jackson and BamBam. They all had made time to make the trip with him. Jackson looked over and waved sleepily. Other than Yugyeom, Jackson had missed Ren the most. They had gotten along really well and had formed such a tight bond that she talked to Jackson almost as much as she talked to Yugyeom. Mark came in third and JB was fourth.

The plane landed and as soon as it was safe, they disembarked. True to their words, Woo Bin and Yi Jeong were waiting on them on the tarmac. They were dressed in light attire because Hawaii was always warm. The wind blew their normally perfect hair all about their faces.

They gathered their luggage and put them all in the back of the cars then piled in. The drive was scenic. The ocean was on their right and hills were on their left. The warm sea breeze was something that made them all happy. No one really spoke as the jetlag settled in over them.

They pulled up to a bungalow and parked. Yugyeom got out first and helped pull the luggage out. It was a beautiful place to live and relax. He helped his brothers pull their luggage from Yi Jeong's car and cart them to the house.

They carried their bags inside and staked out the rooms they would share while on their month long vacation. They automatically settled into their rooming arrangements back home. After unpacking they went to survey the land around them.

Something caught Jackson's attention instantly. There was a woman on the beach playing with a dog. She was laughing and throwing a ball across the sand. When the dog would get it, she would run away from it and it would give chase. Finally it caught her and they rolled in the sand together.

"I know that voice," Yugyeom said when she stopped to speak.

He broke away from his friends and took the path down to the beach. He heard everyone behind him but there was no stopping. He had to get down there.

He hit the beach then stopped first. "Ren!" he called.

The woman turned around, long hair flying around her face. A smile broke out on her face as she took off straight for him. He knew better than to run at her because it would be like two Mack trucks hitting each other. So he waited until she got close enough for him to steel himself then catch her.

He held her as she laughed in his ear. It was such a happy sound and something he hadn't heard before. Pain welled in his heart because he hadn't been around when all the barriers had come crumbling down.

She surprised him when she leaned back and kissed him. Shocked for a brief moment, he gripped her by the back of the head and deepened the sweetest kiss he had ever given her.

Ren pressed her forehead against his and smiled into his face. "I'm glad you finally came."

Shocked by her flawless Korean, he kissed her again as he set her feet on the ground. He ran his hands through her hair as he took her in. He pulled at her shirt to see a tattoo just under her shirt. It was upside down but he could see the Korean letters clear as day.

"What is this place?" he asked.

"It's my home away from home. I bought this just after I left Korea. I love Macau but I need a place that is wholly mine. Granted I'm still paying Woo Bin back for the loan," she said. She took his hand and led him back to his friends.

Not wanting to be outdone, he tossed her over his shoulder and walked back to the group as she laughed. The smile on his face was contagious. As soon as everyone saw it, they burst out with smiles as well. They all took turns giving Ren a hug when Yugyeom set her on her feet once again. Jackson took the longest.

"Don't ever do this again. We can't stand not talking to you. We spent three good months together and you go out of commission for months," he scolded.

"You make it sound like we were in a relationship," she argued.

"We are. When you date one of us, you become our family. That means we have a relationship. I love you, you moron."

There were a few people who seconded that sentiment. But it was Mark who said what everyone was thinking. "It's hard watching Yugyeom sulk about because you're not in his line of sight," he said.

Yugyeom sputtered as she stepped back to him. "You make it sound like I was a sappy, crying mess."

"You basically were," BamBam laughed. Yugyeom took a playful swat at him.

Ren clapped her hands. "Come on. I made food. It's nothing like you've ever had before. Go back to the house."

She held Yugyeom back as they others went back up the hill. "I'm sorry it took so long for this to happen. I had a lot going on. There was so much I did that I couldn't get back."

Yugyeom smiled as he brushed her hair from her face. "I understand. Did I think you weren't coming back? A part of me did, but I knew there was probably a reason. Just don't ever stay away too long!"

Ren smiled at him. That was all he needed. He took her face in his hands and kissed her. It was a classic drama ending. There were whoops and hollers as the guys on the hill watched. Yugyeom pulled back to smile at her but then went in for another kiss as the waves crashed on the shore.

THE END


End file.
